Maid To Serve
by wolfpawn
Summary: You are sold as a slave to the Aesir palace, where you are grateful to see you are lucky enough to be an employee rather than property, while there you meet the intriguing Prince Loki, who is as equally intrigued with you.
1. Chapter 1

As you walked through the great golden gates and into the grounds of the great golden palace, you stared at it. You had never seen anything so big, and it was more than a tad intimidating. You found yourself wondering how many people resided within it, and how many staff, what would be your position, and would you ever see the Aesir royal family. In a building that size, you knew there was a high chance you may never even see any of them. You had heard of them even in another realm. The warrior king, the Allfather, and protector of the realms, Odin, and his beautiful and fair wife, the Queen, and Allmother, Frigga, and their sons, the strong and terrifying Thor, and finally the conniving and intelligent Loki.

Thinking back over the past few days, you prayed to all the Norn's that everything was going to be okay. It had all started when you were dragged from your bed in the middle of the night by three brutish men and informed your father, who had recently passed away, owed a ridiculous amount of money to beings it would not be considered wise to owe money too. They informed you that your home was theirs, and it was still not enough to pay off his gambling debts, thus you were the rest of their payment. Your own father had signed you down as leverage. You prayed he would never get through to the great halls of Valhalla for his sins.

Thus you were sold for work, forced to stay in a hovel with about fifty other girls from different situations who were also sold off. In your time there you rarely slept. The first night you cried, as did many of the others, but after that, you realised that there was precious little you could do about it and tried to just accept it. There were rumours of what you all would be sold for, to brothels, workhouses, even to Lords and other dignitaries from different realms to work in their homes. Some feared the brutality that you all could be forced to face, others optimistic, though it was clear to see, those girls came from horrific conditions beforehand, where anything else could be seen as better.

It was odd, in a room of so many; there was seldom a noise that exceeded a murmur. In only a faint light, everyone seemed to remain hushed, and not wanting to test why, you simply remained silent, only speaking on the exceptionally rare occasion you were spoken to.

It seemed all those in the room were there for different reasons. Some as punishment for crimes, some out of desperation, and those who were sold to pay debts, as you had been.

There was an immense sense of terror when voices could be heard coming down the hallway, towards where you were all being held. The voices were in a language you did not understand; therefore they scared you all the more. When the door opened and the room was suddenly filled with light, you could see the man that had bought you from your father's creditors, and woman, portly and stern looking beside him.

"Stand tall." You were ordered, along with the other girls as the seemingly middle-aged woman inspected you all, immediately you all ran to the closest walls, silent and straight. "You know what I require Frederick, I need strong, hard working, obedient girls, and under no circumstances can a single one of them have come from a sordid background." She instructed the man. "What of this one?" She looked at a blonde girl, beautiful and tall.

"Not for your employment Ma'am, she is a convicted pickpocket." The man informed her.

"Definitely not; and this one." The woman indicated to another girl, again blonde.

"Underage tavern wench."

"Have you any girls I can use?" The woman demanded in exasperation.

"Well, I have three who are not here because of the aforementioned reasons." The man walked her to a red haired girl. "This one sold because her family had no means to keep her." He explained.

"Perfect, her hair is somewhat unruly, but that is nothing, the other maids will be more than happy to help her neaten it. Next."

The man brought her to another girl, hair of ebony black and olive skin. "This girl came to us herself, her parents passed, leaving her with no living or means to do so."

"Well, so long as she is a hard worker, she will do just that." The woman stated, giving the girl a bit of a nod and the girl smiled slightly in return, seemingly grateful for the chance to go with the woman, whoever she was. "And finally…?"

"This one." The man pointed to you and you felt your heart pound hard in your chest as a terrified hot feeling immediately poured through your body as they came over and stopped right in front of you. "Her father owed some powerful men a substantial sum of money, and let us just say, he made her part of the payment."

The woman studied you for a moment. "How am I to know she does not possess such traits?"

"If I say his name in her presence, she will all but baulk in disgust." The man explained.

The woman took your hands in hers and inspected them, noting the small scars of burns from years of cooking and cleaning after your pathetic excuse of a father. "She knows the meaning of a day's work, which stands in her favour." She looked you in the eye and you nervously looked back. "Very well." She then spoke in your tongue again. "Come then." Was the order, which you and the other two girls obeyed immediately.

And so you were forced to watch as she bestowed a substantial sum of gold into the man's pocket and left with the three of you in tow. You watched as she placed a golden torc around your neck and it glowed slightly for a moment and then you were forced to walk behind her silently as she made her way from the establishment you were being held in. for a moment, you had the slightest fleeting idea to try and run, but the piece of metal around your neck scared you, and you knew little good could come from it.

You walked for a period, leaving the town you were being kept in and towards the countryside. After a few hours, you came to a small tavern and there the woman entered. Cautiously, you all followed as your mind went through every possible scenario as to what could be happening, your fear being you were sold to service the male clientele of the tavern, but instead were relieved when you were brought to a comfortable looking room with a large bed in it.

"You are to remain here tonight." The woman informed you all. "Tomorrow we are to travel further. I will ensure you are all fed within the hour, and you are to share this room. If any of the three of you attempt to escape, all three of you will be punished. I will know if you attempt such also, as those pretty trinkets around your necks," She indicated to the three torcs. "Will inform me immediately. Any questions?" You shook your head silently, fearful of what you had just been told. "You are to say 'No ma'am' when I ask such a question, is that understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am." You all replied, though not in sync. She nodded, satisfied with all of your attempts to please her. "You girls are three of the lucky ones, I only take those who are not criminals or miscreants. The lives those other women face do not bear thinking of. Do not mistreat my decision in saving you from similar fates." You gave as grateful a look as you could, and seeing that none of you were going to contest her, she left the room, locking it after she closed the door.

"Thank the Norn's." sighed the dark haired girl when she left.

"You know who she is." The red-haired girl looked at the other one. "When she walked over to you, you were relieved you were going with her, you knew who she was, who is she?"

"You shall see soon enough, but let me say, she is right, we could have done a lot worse. The worst we come across here will be better than the best most anywhere else." She explained.

"How bad is their worst though?"

"We can only go on what I have heard, it is bad, but not terrible."

"How do you know all this?" The red haired girl asked.

"Because I did not just choose this life without looking at all my options." The girl explained.

"You chose this?" You looked at her in disbelief, the girl nodded. "But why?"

"It was the best of a bad lot." She shrugged. "I am Anna by the way." She introduced herself. "We may as well know each other's names, we are going to be trained together. My parents died, and my choices were this, prostitution or starvation."

"Mya." The red head stated next. "My parents could not keep us all, two of my sisters and I were sold, I volunteered in place of the younger ones."

"That was good of you." Anna commended.

"I am stronger than them, I was fearful as to what they would face without me. Now my parents can afford what children are left." Mya explained.

You were about to speak when the Anna gave you a sympathetic look. "I know who you are, and what your father did, I'm sorry." You frowned. "The girl I was talking to, back there. She was present when the men dragged you from your home, she heard your story."

You gave a sad smile. "I cannot change what he has done." There was bitterness in your tone.

"Still, it is not fair." Mya concurred.

"I could have been forced to service men, the way you speak Anna, we have a chance to live as opposed to merely exist here, wherever here is."

"It will be fine, so long as we do what we are told," Anna stated.

"And at least we are warm, sleeping in an actual bed and will be fed." Mya looked around. "This is more than I had growing up."

"Even sharing a bed with two other girls?" Anna raised a brow.

"Well so long as you don't make me sleep with your feet in my face." She smiled back. "That used to drive me mad growing up."

"No promises." You returned the gesture, earning small laughs from the others.

"Come on, we might as well get sorted before the food comes," Anna suggested.

Exhausted, you agreed instantly, and the three of you cleaned yourselves up as best you could. When the food arrived, you ate quietly, tired from the day, before making your way to the bed. It was not overly comfortable, but it was better than what you had slept in the few days previous. And the two other girls being there ensured it was warm, meaning, even terrified and somewhat not used to having someone so close to you as you slept, you drifted off to sleep soon enough.

The next morning, a plain but filling breakfast was brought to you all, and not long after, the woman returned to you all. "Fed and rested?" she asked, looking around at you all.

"Yes, Ma'am." You all responded, as though in sync.

"Good, we will be going to the Bifrost site in a half hour, but first, I will explain a few things to you all." Your eyes widened. The Bifrost. You had often heard of the great portal between the realms, controlled by Asgard. "When we arrive, you will be brought straight to the palace and placed in servant's rooms together, so any animosity between you all, get over it now, for the next few weeks, you are all in the same boat. Every day you will be trained in the tasked required of you in all aspects of the running of the building. It will be decided then what aspect suits your abilities best, and from there you will be placed in the same quarters as the other maids that are employed in that area of expertise, any questions?" Silence was all that answered her. "Very well, then we had best ready ourselves for travel."

The Aesir royal palace; it was any wonder that Anna was so eager to go with the woman. Royal servants and maids were expected to be well presented and clean, meaning they were well fed, well clothed and generally well kept. Compared to the rest of those whom they had been kept with, they were after getting one of the only truly decent employments.

The group travelled until the woman told them to stop, then she looked to the sky. By the time you had looked up, a powerful beam poured down on you all, and you were pulled between realms. Too suddenly, and yet not quick enough, you were thrown from the bright light and landed somewhat haphazardly in a large golden room shaped as an orb. Your eyes immediately made their way to the tall golden armoured being standing stoically in the centre of the room, wielding a huge sword that seemed to be even taller than you. His eyes were golden and seemed to gaze into the universe.

"Thank you, Guardian." The woman called before heading for the door. "Well come along girls." She ordered as she went outside.

All too eager to get away from the slightly terrifying man, who seemed to stand statuesquely still, you got to your feet, brushed off the non-existent dirt off your dress, and followed her outside. Ahead stood a dauntingly long bridge, and at the far end a large city surrounding a huge golden building, Asgard, the unknown.


	2. Chapter 2

Every day was both monotonous and a steep learning curve simultaneously. Some things never altered, you got up, got washed and dressed, then you ate breakfast, and at night, you ate dinner, spoke to Anna and Mya for a while, then collapsed exhausted into bed, but in the intervening hours, life was hard and hectic. It would appear you had the curse of being able to be good at most every aspect and in every area of the palace. Years of being in charge of the upkeep of your father's home meant you knew how to deal with any household issue, so you had most every head of section wanting you in theirs. Anna had been requested very quickly in dining area staff for when her training was completed. Mya had been banished from the kitchens within the same morning of first going to them but seemed to be most likely set to be sent to care for the children that would visit the palace. She had the demeanour for them, meaning she was adored by any child she encountered.

"Right." Gertrude, your instructor declared as she walked in one morning. "Mya, the Vanir royal family has decided to visit on their way back from some other realm, so they are due here this evening, and their royal family has more children than I do dresses, so you are being requested by the nursery staff, off with you." Not a moment later, the redhead departed. "Anna, kitchens, the scullery maid has taken ill." Anna grabbed an extra apron and left without another word. Leaving you, looking at the instructor. "And you are off to housekeeping. They are preparing for guests, so they will require all the assistance they can get. These royals, they decide these things last minute and it is not considered madness to expect everything perfect at such short notice." She ranted. "As you have not been there before, and therefore do not know the ins and outs of it, you are to just fill water jugs, food bowls, and check the flowers. All the rooms require all windows to be only slightly ajar at most, curtains tied and look presentable, you will get more instruction there, but that is the basics; am I understood?"

"Yes Ma'am, crystal clear."

She smiled approvingly. "Good, you are generating a lot of interest here girl, and that is something most every maid would want in her favour, continue as is and you may very well be in the very enviable position to choose for yourself where you will work."

"Thank you Ma'am." With another approving nod, she sent you on your way.

Housekeeping was a sector you decided you would strive to obtain. The work was not overly complex, but yet meticulous. A keen eye for detail was essential and you loved it. If the Norn's had any justice, you thought, they would get you a position there.

It was a lot of work, and you second guessed yourself more than once, but the head housekeeper was pleased with your keen eye. With the rooms readied, the important guests had arrived and the evening meal ready to be served, you were the last to leave the rooms, having been given instruction by the head of housekeeping to close all the windows before finishing due to the chill in the air; having done that, you decided everything was fit for the guests and left for your own quarters. However, having not been taught all the servants passages, you were forced to walk through the hallways, something frowned upon, but not forbidden.

Bar the few patrolling Einherjar, the hallways were deserted, so you looked at the different art, sculptures and general design that filled the golden hallways; the only issue was, they all looked notably similar and it did not take long for you to get completely lost.

Concerned, you simply keep going, hoping to see another member of staff soon. You considered asking an Einherjar, but had been warned before not to disturb them, unless truly necessary, and you suspected that you being lost was not deemed a concern.

Getting somewhat antsy, you began to get concerned when a door burst open not too far from you, and a tall, raven-haired, lithe man walked out and began to look up and down the hallway. As soon as he saw you, he ceased looking around. "Finally, someone. You." He pointed at you.

You checked behind you for a moment, on seeing there was no one there, you turned to him again. "Yes, Sir?"

His brow rose for a moment at being called such. "Where is Freda?"

"Freda Sir?"

"Freda, my maid, where is she?"

The name was not one you had recalled hearing. "I do not know sir."

"That useless…no matter, come with me." He barked angrily. Not knowing what you should do, you obeyed immediately. You were supposed to stay out of the way and not interact with the guests, but you wagered that were you to disobey a direct order from one, you would be reprimanded for it.

Following him in through the doors he had stormed out of, you noticed the rooms you had helped prepare earlier, meaning this man was of even greater importance. "How can I assist you sir?" you asked.

"That useless wench has not done an ounce of her work here today; make these rooms presentable; if the Vanir were to come here, I would be the shaming of the whole household." He growled. "Get it done immediately." He ordered as he headed for another door that undoubtedly led to another chamber.

"Sir?" he turned slightly, not even looking properly at you. "What other rooms?" he cocked a brow. "You said to 'make these rooms' what other rooms would you like me to do?"

"All of them." And with that, he walked away.

Looking around, you assessed what needed to be done. Overall, the room was hygienically clean, it was simply untidy, so you began to just organise things. It did not take long to put some order into the room. Making the note to get fresh fruit and water, you made sure all the books on the table were neat and as they were all the same size, you placed them in alphabetical order, with a spare small bookmark on the pages that had been open before you tidied them. You also puffed up the pillows on the seats and made sure that everything was perfect. Then you made your way to the next room, bed chambers, it was there you noted finery the likes you had never seen in your life; everything was silken rich colours and gold seemed to be a defining metal within the room. Not taking time to note anything small, you tidied the bed sheets so that it looked neat, and then took the clothing that was strewn on the floor and put them for cleaning, and finally, you organised the books as you had out in the other room.

"That's better." You shrieked in terror at the sudden voice you were not expecting. The dark-haired man chuckled slightly at your reaction. "I suppose I should apologise, but that was quite amusing."

"I am glad to have provided you with such entertainment sir." You stated though gritted teeth.

"Indeed. Well, I am done in the bath chambers, so proceed with them now," he instructed, now sounding bored.

"Yes, Sir." You walked into the other room, steam still filling it; so taking a moment to orientate your surroundings, you found the windows, and opened them to get rid of it. You cleaned the chambers swiftly enough and went back to the main chambers when you entered them again the man was sitting at the desk you had previously tidied. "Do you require anything else of me sir? If not, then I shall go and fill your jug and food bowl."

"No, I can think of nothing else and your work is satisfactory." He stated nonchalantly. With a nod, you got the empty dishes and headed out the doors of the rooms.

"There you are." The head of housekeeping snapped before her look of anger turned to one of fear. "What were you doing in there?" She pointed to the door. "And why have you got those?" she indicated to the dishes in your hands.

"I…" you tried to begin to explain.

"Have you any idea who…You are in no way qualified to even go near there, you…"

"What is going on here?" you turned to see the raven haired man standing in his doorway, looking both confused and bemused at the scene in front of him. "Well?"

"Your Highness, this maid…"

"I was very fortunate to come across this maid." He cut through the housekeeper, silencing her immediately. "I have not seen any sign of that useless excuse of a maid you were so adamant would be perfect for my chambermaid all day. She has not even turned up today, my quarters were disgraceful, what if Prince Rangier had come here as he stated he might; thankfully he has sent word that he will arrive after dinner instead. What would that have suggested with regards you and your staff and your standards should he had come as arranged to see my quarters look like the mess hall of the army's barracks?" He challenged. "Had it not been for this maid." He pointed at you, his voice nothing short of a growl. "My rooms would still be so horrifically substandard."

"Your Highness." She cowered. "Had I but known."

"So you are openly acknowledging that you do not keep a close eye on your staff, is that what you are saying? Do you even check on their work at any stage, or are they allowed to gallivant around without concern?"

"Of course your Highness, every Frigga's Day."

"You check on specific days?" He snarled, clearly exasperated. "I should have known since it is the only day I can see anything that suggests an effort on her behalf. I suggest you start random checks and also that you get me a competent chambermaid." He pointed to you again. "This one specifically; she does things to a standard I deem acceptable and ensured all the books and literature I had open were neatly stacked and the pages that were open are marked to permit my continued use of them as quickly as possible. I want Freda gone, which should not be hard, considering she is never here anyway, and I want this one briefed and ready by tomorrow afternoon."

"But Your Highness, she is not of the housekeeping staff." The man frowned at the older woman. "She is only being trained as a general maid at present; she is not even with the palace a month."

"Well clearly she knows how to clean a room, so I want her. I do not care how you how you do it, but I mean it Josephine, I want this maid as mine by tomorrow afternoon." He ordered before turning on his heels and strutting down the hallway.

You stood staring at him for a moment, barely comprehending what had just happened before you turned to the head of housekeeping, who looked terrified. "Ma'am?"

"It would appear you have had your position here chosen for you." She stated factually. You frowned in confusion. "You are about to find out firsthand girl, what Prince Loki demands, Prince Loki will ensure he receives." Your eyes widened at the realisation that the man you had been dealing with was, in fact, the second prince of the Aesir royal family. "I suggest you finish the task given to you and after that, go to Gertrude and inform her that you have been chosen by Prince Loki personally. You are to meet me in the morn, sunrise; in my office, you are in for a very long day." And with that, the woman left, leaving you silent and gobsmacked in the hallway.

You went and retrieved what you required, the kitchen staff getting you what you required as well as promising to explain everything later to a very bewildered Anna, and went on with completely the task bestowed upon you.

The room was empty on your return, so you placed the filled bowl, jug and a fresh goblet on the table you had first seen them on, and turned to leave. Taking in your surrounds, you felt somewhat embarrassed you had not figured out it was a royals rooms, to begin with, they clearly gave the impression of power and status that only the Allfather's family could possibly possess, but you did not dwell too long on it, instead, you simply turned down the bed sheet slightly and left once more.

Back in your rooms, you were grateful to see Anna sitting on her bed, with a plate of cold meats and fruits with bread on both your and Mya's beds. "Thank you."

"It is the least I can do." Anna had a sad smile on her face.

"What?" you asked, scared by the look on her face as you removed your shoes, rubbing your feet after the long day.

"You won't be here anymore." She explained sadly. "You will have to be close to his chambers in case you are required." You froze at the realisation. "Don't be sad, though, they have the best quarters out of the whole staff I heard, you are so lucky." She explained further. "And Prince Loki is supposed to be fairly tidy."

"It did seem quite clean." You admitted, thinking over what you had seen. "Oh Anna, I had no idea it was even him, I kept calling him 'sir' he must think I am an idiot." You groaned.

Anna laughed into her hand, "Really? Gods that is embarrassing. But he cannot think you too bad or he would not have all but demanded you."

"I only did what I was asked." You went into how you had no idea where the servants' quarters were and how his maid was nowhere to be seen.

"I know of her, she apparently services half the staff of the palace, if you catch my meaning." She hinted. "I can't see her leaving the prince to deal with his own mess going down well, she will be lucky if she is even allowed to remain working here; if Prince Loki demands it, she will be thrown out within moments of his suggestion of it."

"What have you heard of him Anna?" you asked, terrified of her answer. "Be honest."

"Conflicting reports really. He is supposed to be quiet, yet contrary; clean, yet meticulous. As for his personality, that is supposed to be more difficult to pinpoint than which came first, the egg or the poultry. Everyone has something different to say about him from what I have gathered.

"Norn's, what am I in for?" you groaned.

"What was he like to you?" Anna asked.

"Who's this?" Mya looked exhausted as she joined you.

"From tomorrow, it's just you and me," Anna informed her.

Mya's brow furrowed and she looked at you for an explanation as to why you were apparently abandoning them. "Prince Loki found me in the hallway and told me to do some work for him and I did, so he demanded I become his chambermaid, I start tomorrow." You decided to be blunt about it.

"But…no, we're supposed to remain together for another few months, you can't just leave us." Tears welled in the redheads eyes.

"I wish I didn't have to." You walked over and embraced her.

"I hear they have great quarters, the chambermaids." She sniffed, holding onto you.

"The best," Anna confirmed.

"You deserve it." Mya pulled you closer to her. "Try and visit."

"I am still going to be in the palace, I mean, he can't need a maid day and night, or else that other one would not have gotten away with everything she did. I will see you." You swore.


	3. Chapter 3

"You have no idea the prestige that has fallen on you," Gertrude stated as she stood next to Josephine at sunrise the next morning. "To be made a royal chambermaid, and you only here a month."

"But to Prince Loki," Josephine added. "After Freda, he will be more vigilant, you will have a great workload and he will be looking to ensure you outdo her."

"That will not take much; you merely have to turn up," Gertrude mumbled in your ear as she assisted you with the now green apron you had to wear. "Your belongings will be sent to your new lodgings once the last of Freda's are removed and it is there you shall remain now. Have you said goodbye to Anna and Mya?" You nodded. "Good, well then, I had best leave you to it." She turned to leave.

"Thank you." She turned to look at you, somewhat taken back by your gratitude. "I could have ended up anywhere, I am grateful you brought me here thank you."

"You did nothing to deserve a bad life girl. Just keep your head down and work hard." She smiled before leaving.

"Listen and listen well girl, this will be like no job you have had before, now let us begin." Josephine seemed very no-nonsense, so it caused you to wonder how the Freda girl had been able to be so lackadaisical.

Hours later, you felt as though your head was going to explode, and you prayed to all the Norn's you would forget none of what you had been told. You were also taught how to go from his rooms to the kitchens via the servant's passageways. So nervously, you made your way to Loki's quarters, fresh towels and a tray of snacks in hand.

When you got to the door, you knocked once before opening it and walking in. Inside, Loki was sitting on one of the seats, and across from him an elegant older woman.

"A new maid Loki?" She asked rising to her feet, eyeing you in an assessing manner.

"Yes, that other one did not even turn up at all yesterday, I was fortunate to see this one in the hallway." His tone bored, he did not even look at you.

"Well, that is in no way acceptable." The woman agreed. "Do not be so rude with this one."

"I am never rude to the staff that are in any way competent at their work, and this one has a functioning brain. I do not foresee the same issues with her as I had with the others."

"Good, well then, I shall leave you to your afternoon; no doubt you have many instructions you wish to give her."

"Yes, and do not fret, I will turn up to dinner this evening."

"You had better, you father was not best pleased last night Loki."

"Well he should cease trying to force every so-called eligible woman on me; they resemble the horses that were forced to drag their privileged asses here or those things that are supposed to be dogs they have to sit on their laps. Honestly, mother is there not one woman on all the realms that is of the correct background that is not vapid and shallow, I am not even too bothered by appearances anymore, so long as I am capable of having a conversation with them that consists of polysyllable words, I would be satisfied."

You bit your lips together, trying not to laugh at his descriptions; of the royal women you had seen of Vanaheim and indeed of your own realm, it seemed a somewhat accurate assessment of their physical appearance and manner.

"Be nice Loki." Though her words were scolding, it was clear from the manner the Allmother rolled her eyes; she did not fully disagree with her son's assessment. She gave you last glance before she left, to which you curtsied respectfully.

As she closed the door behind her, you looked anxiously to your new employer. "I assume you were given basic training of what is required of chambermaids this morning?" he asked, looking at you properly, clearly pleased your uniform was as he had requested.

"Yes, your Highness." You gave a small curtsey as you responded.

He took another moment to assess you. "Forget it all." He declared.

"Your Highness?"

"The last four maids were all supposedly trained properly and each one was worse than the last."

"So what would you have me do Your Highness?"

"Just as with yesterday, tidy my things as you did then, ensure my towels are changed daily, sheet's every second day, straightened daily, food and water constantly full and twice weekly full cleaning, the only day I forbid such is Frigga's day, understood?"

Not understanding the significance of such a day, you simply nodded as you absorbed all he said. "May I ask something, Your Highness?" He nodded once, eyeing you with interest. "What fruits do you prefer and which ones should I avoid?"

He gave an approving smirk. "Good question." He praised. "Citrus are preferred, but not always wanted, so add others. As for dislikes, I despise bananas, they never interested me."

You nodded. "The texture." You assumed, not really asking, merely stating a thought out loud.

"Yes, actually." He looked at you in an assessing manner. "So do as before and I will be pleased."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Loki stared at you for a moment, his head slightly tilted. "You did know who I was yesterday, did you?"

Your eyes widened slightly at that. "How…?"

"Yesterday, you referred to me as 'sir' and today you are referring to me by my title, leading me to believe you did not know with whom you were speaking yesterday."

You felt your face become red. "Your Highness, I am so sorry, I had no idea, I meant no offence, I had never worked in an area of the palace where I would see any member of the royal family, we are not permitted for some time as we need to be adequately trained to ensure the best possible standards for you."

"And before your service here, you had not seen me then?"

"No, your Highness, I came from Alfheim straight to the palace here, so no."

"I see." To your relief, he seemed merely intrigued rather than offended. "I prefer sir actually, it was refreshing."

"Yes, sir."

He nodded. "Well organise the place some bit, and tomorrow, we will see what training you do actually need." He instructed.

"Yes, sir." He left the room and rather than wonder where he was going or how long he would be, you simply got started on the task at hand and began to organise the room, tidying laundry, for washing doing as you had with the books the day before and preparing everything.

Loki arrived back soon after and gave the room a quick glance. "Well done another satisfactory job." You bowed at the praise. "Go, I require nothing more of you tonight if I require you I will call upon you."

"Yes, sir." You curtsied and left.

X

You could not help but stare blankly at the room you were now to be living in. It was beautiful or it would be, once you cleaned it. Freda had clearly been abandoning her own room's cleaning requirements as well as her duties. It smelled of alcohol and what you were almost certain was male fluids so you after grimacing to yourself, you immediately set about to clean it.

"So you are the new chambermaid?" Came a snide voice from behind you.

You groaned to yourself, knowing that anyone speaking in such a tone would not be of any aid to you. You turned around with a polite smile on your face. The woman standing behind you seemed to be less than a thousand years older than you; she had her nose high and looked at you, somewhat disgusted. "Yes, I am." You kept yourself polite, though you knew it was pointless.

"Poor Freda did not deserve to be thrown out like that, especially by someone like you; you're not even here the length of a season.

You took a moment to look at her before raising a brow and indicating to the room around you. "She was supposed to be a chambermaid to a prince; if this room is an indication of anything she is best served to make the bed of a pig."

The girl's lip curled up. "You are the lowest of the private chambermaids; you have no right to even speak to me, much less like that."

"And you are merely one rung higher." Came another voice from the door. Turning to see the newcomer, you saw an older woman glaring at the other maid. "And the only reason you are Prince Thor's maid is because Prince Loki stated you were incapable of even stacking books and dismissed you, you are not a better chambermaid because you are here longer, and before you moved up to chambermaid Rebekkah Avirdottir, you were scrubbing floors in the hallways, so I would suggest you acknowledge that the statement you made with regards this new maid only being here a month and having achieved in that time what took you a millennia to do, is a testament to her abilities and your lack there of." The older woman snapped before looking around the room. "Norn's this place is beyond atrocious. Here Pet, I'll help you get it somewhat habitable." She gave the other maid another withering look. "Run along now Rebekkah if all you are going to do is hinder rather than help."

"Why would I clean this?" the other maid looked around the disgusting room, her tone one that matched her features.

"Well, you seemed to have little issue condoning its appearance not ten minutes ago." The younger maid scoffed before turning on her heels and storming off. "Ignore her; she and Freda were cut from the same cloth, so she's similar to her, as useful as a sundial at night." You were forced to cough to cover a laugh. "I am Adelaide by the way; I am the head chambermaid to the Allfather. When the Allmother met you earlier, she asked me to come see if you required any help, though I doubt even she would have thought you would require assistance for something like this, Norn's if they only knew what way that chit was treating her own rooms."

"Thank you." You looked around. "Usually, I would decline out of politeness, but this is beyond me, I had no idea I would be walking into something such as this."

The older woman looked around again. "No, I had not realised she was so bad myself. But the sooner we start, the sooner you can get yourself properly settled. I'll take care of the bed, you take care of…" she indicated to the mess that hid the most of the desk that was in one corner of the room.

"Thank you." You repeated.

"It is not easy for anyone starting out Pet, much less a new girl that has been forced into an even more challenging setting as you have been."

With a smile at her caring demeanour, you found yourself hoping you would be able to speak with her more often. "So does every member of the royal family have just one chambermaid?" Nervously, you tried to make small talk in hopes of getting more information on your new job as you attempted to work on the pile of trash that filled the room.

Adelaide gave a short laugh. "Norns no, thank goodness. The Princes only have one maid each, and a hand servant; you will meet Wilhelm tomorrow; but the Allfather and the Allmother, they have a team of us each, as they have far bigger quarters and far more work required of each member of staff.

"Is Wilhelm…" you asked anxiously.

"He is a young enough being, but very mature for his age." She eyed you for a moment. "I would not put him as much older than you actually, and the prince has great time for him. Wilhelm acts as a true friend to him, a confidant, not something in vast supply around here." She explained, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she stripped the sheets. "Norn's that girl is no loss going." She looked at you seriously for a moment. "One thing I will warn you of Pet, Prince Loki is prone to terrible bouts of loneliness. You are not here long enough to know, but he is not as liked and as popular as his older brother, and as such, feels resentment."

"And because of his resentment, it causes him to appear much less appealing to others, making him feel more alone, and that causes more resentment, all feeding into a vicious circle." You rambled.

"Exactly, along with the issues of companions, however, is the issue with favouritism that dwells within this house. I do not wish to speak ill of my employer, the Allfather is a fair and good man to work for, but he is not as good with the manner in which he treats his sons. He is inclined to prefer Prince Thor." Your brow furrowed at that information. "It is unfair, but since Prince Loki was first revealed to the realm and permitted to leave his mother's chambers, it has been such. For the most part, Odin tends to ignore Loki."

"So that is why he has caused himself to become known as the trickster, negative attention meant his father had to spend time dealing with him, and Loki deemed that better than being ignored."

"You are a very intelligent young woman, you have it all figured out already. Had you heard much of the family before your arrival here?"

"Not particularly, mostly since I arrived, but a few of the other staff had stated in passing that he has played tricks on them. Back home, I mean on Alfheim, we knew of the family of course, but mostly just their names and such." You explained.

"Alfheim is seen as so different to here, which must have been quite the alteration of lifestyle for you." Adelaide's tone was empathetic.

"I was lucky really, there were two other girls that came here with me, so we were all able to aid one another as we adapted."

"Well sadly you will not get many chances to see them now, but you will do so on occasion." She looked at the freshly bed made she had done, clearly proud of her work. "Much better." Turning to see how you were faring, she gave an approving nod. "I can see how you attracted his attention." You looked at her for an explanation. "You have organised that hovel in minutes."

"It's not so difficult when everything in the pile is simply for dumping."

"Still, you are efficient, that will be a great assist here have you any questions by any chance?"

"Not that I can think, but my head hurts from everything I have had to take in today, I would think later when I should be resting, I will think of a hundred questions."

Adelaide chuckled. "It is always the way." She continued to work around the room. You mostly worked in silence until finally, it was tidied. "Do you have much to put away Pet?"

"No, not really." You looked around sadly, all you had was your work uniforms and the night clothes you had been wearing the night you were taken from your home on Alfheim.

Sensing your sadness, the older woman did not press any further. "Well, I'll let you get settled so. If his Highness requires you through the night, a bell will sound here and you can make your way to him through the passage closest your room here, alright?" you nodded. "Well, sleep well Pet." She wrinkled her nose again. "Or you will when you open a window."

"Thank you, Adelaide."

"Anytime." She winked, and then she left.

Looking around, you were happier, now that the cesspit appearance was gone. It only came to you then, that Adelaide, and indeed Rebekkah, had not enquired as to your name. Worried about the day ahead, you put away your uniforms and curled up in bed, praying to the Norn's the prince, and indeed his hand servant would be amiable when you met them in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sit up straight." You jumped as a deep voice barked the order at you. Looking around, you realised there was a man standing close to you that you had not seen approach. The confused look on your face must have been amusing because he chuckled. "I assume that you are the replacement chambermaid?" You only nodded. "Oh thank the Norn's; Freda was going to turn me grey. I am…"

"Wilhelm."

"So you have been informed of me?" he grinned.

"Adelaide told me about you; she said you are his Highness's hand servant."

"I am." He confirmed.

"Is there anything you could tell me that can help me get started on the right foot today?" Wilhelm stared at you. "What, did I say something wrong?"

"You are the first chambermaid in all my time working with the prince to ask that."

"How long have you been with him?"

"Just shy of four centuries."

"I...wow…that's…how old are you?"

"Not long over fifteen hundred years." He smiled knowingly. "I am aware that is a substantial amount of time for my age. I was born here at the palace and I have had a few different jobs before this, but I finally found the one that fits and I enjoy it. Loki is not near as bad as some say; I mean, sure, he has his days, but don't we all? The other girls thought his more quiet nature meant they did not actually have to do their job. He has only one main peeve, however." He grinned as he studied your expression, which showed your willingness to learn. "His books are something he does not appreciate being tampered with. What you did the day before yesterday, which was perfect, he even commended it to me. It is not that books are the most important thing to him, he has many other pursuits also, he just hates when he is researching new magic and it is difficult for him to continue as he is unable to find where it was he had left off."

"Prince Loki knows seidr?" you asked curiously.

"He does, he is quite proficient at it, it is said that he is the greatest wielder in all the realms."

"So he studies everything he can on it?" Wilhelm nodded. "Does he often use scrolls?"

"Indeed, some of the more advanced magic is only avail as such."

"What does he require for me to do with them?" you asked nervously.

"I honestly am not sure; the only one that can answer such is him. You can ask him, he is very approachable, especially when he can see you are not a foolish idiot." Wilhelm stated. "I have a good feeling about you, when I met the other chambermaids; all I was filled with is dread."

"What do I fill you with?" you were half scared of his answer would be.

"With you…He looked at you for a moment. "Nothing really, I just think with your manner and with how Loki spoke of you already, I think we will get along well. When a chambermaid and a hand servant means the employer is going to be quite content."

You gazed into space for a moment. Wilhelm had referred to Loki as your employer, but employees elect to work in different jobs, you had not given a luxury such as choice. Even though Gertrude was nice, and you knew you were fortunate for where you had ended up, but you were not on Asgard of your own free will. In truth, Loki was not your employer, he was your master. "Good." You schooled a smile onto your face.

Wilhelm was not fooled. "Look, I do not know how you came to be at the palace, or indeed on Asgard, as you are clearly a full elf, but you have to choose, right now, to either accept your lot and hopefully have a good life here, or revel and end up being cast out like Freda, the only places that she will end up now are with employers that will most likely beat and rape her, or in a brothel, where she will more than likely be beaten and raped." He spoke plainly.

Swallowing hard, you felt guilty; feeling that part of the reason she now had those prospects in life were due to you.

"No, you're in no way to blame for her position, she chose to be lazy, and her extra curricular activities got her that fate."

"What of those who used her services; what of them?" you asked.

"Severe floggings, although one of them was cast out too. Just that particular offence is not a dismissible offence, just a floggable one if you have other notable indiscretions, which is when things get more severe." He explained.

"So basic instincts are forbidden and no one is permitted to have something resembling a normal life?" you felt yourself almost shake with anger at the thought.

Wilhelm frowned. "Of course, you are." You readied yourself to tell him of his contradicting statements. "You can take a husband here; you can even have a few children if you choose. You are just not permitted to sell yourself as a common wench when you work for the Allfather. If you chose to lay with every man on staff, or women, it is frowned upon if you do so publically, you will get in trouble for that; as it shows the House of Odin to be of loose morals, but if you do so in the privacy of your rooms, then off with you. The Allfather is no fool, he knows his staff have lives and needs, he believes a happy and willing work force is a good one. Plus, us happy staff having children means more willing workers for the realm in the future."

You took a moment to process his words. "So you are here willingly?"

"Yes, should I have chose to work elsewhere, I would have been more than free to, but I like it here." Wilhelm smiled.

"If I were to have a family, my children would be free?"

"You are not a slave here, you are far more free than you think yourself to be." You raised a brow sceptically. "I speak the truth, but if you do not believe me, go to Prince Loki and tell him you wish to leave." He checked the clock on the wall. "We should go, he will wish for us to wake him. He wishes to rise every morning at six thirty sharp unless he has been at a feast the night before, then it is eight. But we can still get work done while he is resting in the other rooms, so until you work up the courage to ask about being allowed leave, you had best continue working as is." Due to the conversation, you had not eaten much, and you looked at the food on your plate forlornly. "You can eat en route," Wilhelm stated, stuffing a bagel into his mouth and taking a large bite. "I won't tell if you won't." the words were barely comprehendible as he spoke with his mouth full of food.

You laughed a little. "Deal." Grabbing some of the food from your plate that you could eat on the go, you rushed from the table and after the more experienced servant.

He explained different titbits of information to you as you walked the private stairwells that led from the chamber staff quarters to the royal rooms, trying to commit them all to memory as you listened intently. All too quickly you had found your way to Loki's ornate door. Wilhelm did not even knock, he just entered quietly. You were both somewhat started to see Loki standing there in front of them. "Your Highness." Wilhelm bowed, before looking at the clock on the prince's fireplace. "I apologise if we are late."

Loki held up his hand and Wilhelm ceased speaking immediately. "I'm simply up early, nothing more, as usual, you are precisely on time." The prince smiled before turning to you. "I see you are in good company. Finally, I have a chambermaid that is not frightened to grace my rooms before lunch is due."

You gave a polite smile at the half compliment. "You asked for me to be here before dawn, it would not set a good precedent were I to turn up late on the first day sir."

The raven haired prince smiled at you obeying his request to continue calling him 'sir'. "Good, clearly this is a great fit for us all. Wilhelm, have you explained all of the aspects of her position that she needs to know, and I am not speaking about that absolute rubbish the head of housekeeping seems to think appropriate?"

"Most of them, we will do the rest over the course of the day." Loki nodded. "Will I run a bath?" again Loki nodded. "As you wish." Wilhelm then turned to you. "While I do that, you go back the way we came and get breakfast, bring it up here then." The hand servant ordered. Barely taking the time to acknowledge the order, you turned and immediately set to do as instructed.

As you made your way to the kitchens, you replayed your conversation with Wilhelm at the breakfast table, then the interactions between him and the Prince in the prince's rooms. There was an undeniable informality between the pair showing that they were actually on very good terms, it gave you hope for what lay ahead. But you thought too of Wilhelm's statement with regards you being freer that you thought yourself to be; which had to be some form of a highly unfunny joke. You had been bought by the palace; there was no manner in which you could possibly be free after money had exchanged hands in such a manner; so you elected to say nothing for the time being and to begin to work for the prince as you had been chosen to do.

When you got to the kitchens, you informed the cook of Loki requesting his breakfast but were left awkwardly standing there when he asked a question of you in return.

"Hot or cold?" he demanded bluntly.

"What?" you felt as though you were a deer surrounded by hounds in a hunt.

"Does his highness wish to have a hot breakfast or a cold one?" the chef was speaking as though you did not comprehend the words he was saying, speaking loudly and slowly, like you were dim-witted.

"I do know, I was just told to order his breakfast." Your voice had become small and revealed your terror.

The chef rolled his eyes. "Is the prince having a bath at present?" you nodded frantically. "Then he will want the cold one."

"Okay." You had to trust him; after all, it was not in his best interests for Loki to receive the incorrect breakfast either.

Clearly taking pity on you, the chef decided to assist you somewhat. "For the record, if the prince has a bath in the morning, he will only ever have a cold breakfast." He explained.

"Thank you." You were genuinely grateful that he had decided to assist.

"So long as you remember that, you and I will have no issues in the mornings." He growled as he handed you the foods that Loki would eat, you went about placing them on your tray next. "And do not forget his morning mead."

"He drinks mead as part of his breakfast?" you asked in shock.

"Yes, a small shot of it, it is not as potent on us as it is on you little elves, all the members of the royal family have one to start the day, it is said to make enduring court far easier." Your eyes widened. "Welcome to Asgard, you are in for one Hel of a learning curve. Now, run along."

With your tray filled, you turned and headed back to the stairwell, your focus was on not spilling anything as you ascended the steps, but you groaned audibly on seeing Rebekkah coming against you.

"Ass kissing in the early morn I see, trying to outdo poor Freda on every aspect, as though to show her up more." She snarled.

"If Prince Loki requests an early breakfast, it is the duty of his chambermaid to do as is requested. Perhaps if she, and indeed you, had done so when you were his maids, you would not have been reallocated."

Rebekkah's lip curled in contempt. "I prefer Prince Thor, he sleeps later and when he takes the throne, I will surely be his head housekeeper."

"Good for you." You dismissed, genuinely not caring, though it was unsurprising to see where she saw herself in years to come. "Now let me pass, I have to return to the prince I serve with his breakfast."

"You are such a suck up." She rolled her eyes, but made way, knowing she would one the one punished should it be revealed that she was the reason for being untimely. "Let's see how long you last."

"Not paying any more heed to the other maid, you went to Loki's rooms and were relieved to see the Prince was not out of the bath yet. You headed to his dining table and began to unload dishes.

"He wishes to eat on the balcony today," Wilhelm informed you as he walked by you, getting something that Loki had requested.

"Okay." Reloading the tray, you walked to the large glass doors that let to the balcony; beside which, there was a table and two chairs. Placing the tray on thee table, you opened the door and lifted one of the chairs out ensuring it was in a warm and bright spot, when you turned to retrieve the table, you jumped when you realised that Wilhelm was standing behind you, the table with the tray still on top of it, in his hands.

"I didn't remember to tell you that these were there." He lifted the table slightly higher in his hands to show he was referring to them. "But I see you figured that much out for yourself."

You stared at him, somewhat insulted. "Why would I not figure that out?" It's hardly that hard to comprehend." Your tone was slightly clipped.

Wilhelm placed the table where he knew Loki would want it, which was in a spot very close to where you had placed the chair. "Because all you predecessors did not figure it out, it was not a statement against you, I assure you."

You relaxed slightly. "You'd think a palace as grand as this would have far more intellectually advanced staff."

"There is more than five hundred in-house staff, trust me, a few are superb, like myself, most are good, but is also the fair share than are utterly useless. When you have certain jobs, they hide a person's slothfulness, but chamber staff is not one such job." Wilhelm explained as he watched you organise the plates on the table, nodding approvingly when you were done.

"That makes sense." You agreed; looking at the setting in front of you, readjusting the jug of mead so that the handle would be easy for Loki to reach.

Not a moment later, the prince arrived onto the balcony. Looking at the table in front of him, he too gave an approving nod, so Wilhelm bowed and turned to leave, giving you a look that told you to do the same, so with a curtsey, you followed.

"You start in the bedchambers, change everything today, bar the bed sheets, and work your way to the bathroom, then finally to the front room." He instructed. "I will be trotting around should you have any questions."

"Got it."

"Had you any issues in the kitchens."

"Nothing really, though I did not know whether the Prince wished for a hot or cold breakfast, I had no idea what the chef was referring to for a moment."

Wilhelm winced slightly. "I should have warned you of that."

You shrugged. "I got it in the end, and I met Rebekkah in the stairwell."

Wilhelm ceased what he was doing and looked at you. "Those particular stairs are for you and I to use alone, they are not for general usage, and she knows that," he growled. "This is the sort of things that gets her in trouble."

"Well, that explains why she did not attempt to delay me further."

"I am not one to tell others what they should or should not do Girlie, but I am going to warn you, that girl is trouble, try to avoid her when possible." With that, Wilhelm left again, leaving you to wonder about what he had said in his wake.


	5. Chapter 5

All too quickly, a week went by, then another, and before long, a whole month had passed. In that time, your interactions with Loki were somewhat infrequent, usually as a result of you asking where a particular thing should go and him responding, or praising you for your work.

In that time, you had only seen Anna once and Mya not at all. Adelaide continued to keep a close eye on you, taking a motherly approach to her interactions with you, and helping you to settle in to your position as a result. Rebekkah had decided to outright pretend as though you did not even exist. You had met a substantial proportion of the other chamber staff in that time also, many of whom were very polite, but in general, they were not too bothered by you, most of them were far older than you and were more interested in their work. The one thing you had noted in passing conversations was that the older ones did seem to have families of their own and you had seen with your own eyes that one of the Allmother's maids was actually pregnant; the other notable thing was that most everyone seemed happy in their employment. The one being you had become very good friends with was Wilhelm. You worked well together and he was all too willing to assist you if you required it.

It fascinated you how well he got on with the prince also. You truly thought the royal would have little time for a common hand servant, but as you heard the pair talk as Wilhelm aided Loki with something or another, you were forced to admit to yourself that you were wrong. A knock on the outer room's doors startled you somewhat as you worked, going to it, you were unsure as to who would be on the other side. The answer was a large, strong built blonde man. "Yes?" you asked, your neck aching from the angle you were forced to use to even look at him.

He seemed slightly abashed at your tone, looking down at you in disbelief. "Is my brother not ready yet?" his voice was deep and reminded you of thunder.

As his words went into your mind, your eyes widened. "Prince Thor." Your voice was barely above a whisper.

"Obviously." He growled before his face dropped. "You did not know who I was?" he realised.

"Yes, because in this part of the palace, you are utterly irrelevant," Loki smirked as he emerged from his bed chambers. "And who would care to know about you when they can know me?"

The older prince looked down at you again. "She is not of Asgard." He noted.

"Really, I would not have gathered." Loki rolled his eyes. "Wilhelm, my knives." The servant went to retrieve the weapons.

"Where did your last one go?" Thor continued to fixate on Loki's chambermaid.

"From what I have heard, she has taken up residence in a brothel, which would be more in her line of preferred employment." Loki stated boredly. Thor gave him a peculiar look. "Do not tell me she was servicing you also." Loki looked at his brother in disgust.

"Why would I be bedding your maid?" Thor growled indignantly at him. "I do not require buying company. Give me some credit brother."

"Especially with Rebekkah so willing to fill it, tell me, has she tried to tempt you yet?" Loki questioned. "She would not cease to badger me with regards it when she was my chambermaid, I was glad I was able to dump her off onto you."

"Rebekkah? It thought her name was Sara, or at least, that is what I have been calling her."

You bit your lips together to prevent yourself from laughing aloud, and you were certain Wilhelm was doing the same.

"I am not sure which of you is more clueless, you or she." Loki chuckled. "Now, shall we?" with a nod, Thor turned to leave, with Loki following immediately after.

Wilhelm came over and stood beside you. "You do realise you have made Loki's day? He asked grinning widely. "You have also stunned Thor. I don't think he has ever had anyone not recognise him before."

"I really had no idea." You admitted.

Wilhelm chuckled. "Just for the record, you know what the Allmother and Allfather look like, don't you?"

"Yes." You had seen the Allmother on occasion in the rooms, having served her breakfast or tea with Loki from time to time. And the Allfather was renowned, even back on Alfheim; his portrait was in a few walls of every major building in every town.

"Well, I think you have severely bruised Prince Thor's ego."

"I am sure 'Sara' will fatten on that." you kept a straight face for a moment before you both erupted in laughter.

X

"How long have you had that maid?" Thor asked as they made their way to the dining hall.

"About a month, I told you this just a few weeks again, do you ever listen?" Loki answered boredly, not even looking at the older prince. "Why are you obsessed with my chambermaid?"

"She did not know who I am?" Thor answered incensed.

"And? She is on Asgard with two months and is employed solely to care for my rooms, why should she know who you are?"

"What is her name?"

"None of your concern," Loki growled.

"Is my maid really named Rebekkah?"

"Yes." Loki rolled his eyes. "Why are you obsessed with maids today?"

"I am not."

"Since you came to my rooms this evening, all you spoke about is chambermaids, more specifically mine," Loki argued as they entered the large room.

"Well, it is just…"

"I don't care; they are just chambermaids; if our conversations have become so strained all we can discuss is the staff, we are in a bad state." He commented as he sat next to his mother.

"Speaking of maids how is your new maid working out Loki?" his mother asked.

In front of the foreign ambassadors, Loki had to force himself not to roll his eyes. "Far better than her predecessors it must be said, but then again, that is not saying very much." He responded. "A two-legged dog would be an improvement to them."

"Easier on the eye too," Thor added, earning a peculiar look from Loki. "Tell me I am wrong."

"You are actually correct, hence my concern." The younger retorted.

Thor was about to come back with a remark of his own when his father silenced him with a glare. "Now that you two have thought to join us, can we get on with this meal?" The Allfather asked sarcastically.

X

"So, all is well with your personal staff now?" Frigga asked as she sat with her son after you had given them everything they required for their time together and Loki had ordered you go to the palace library with the books he wished to return and the list of the ones he required in their stead.

"The best I have had, a Norn send." He replied. "Whatever the head of housekeeping is teaching the chambermaids is less than adequate, the only reason this one is better is she has not been tainted by being 'trained' here."

"I think it is time we have the staff reassessed personally, I will speak with your father about it, Thor's maid is more interested in seeking the position as head housekeeper upon his coronation than actually doing any work."

"Yes, I noticed, she was always getting above her station here too, why do you think I did everything I could to rid myself of her."

"Well, your brother is not as meticulous as you."

"Yes, well I am satisfied with both my maid and Wilhelm, so as long as I have them, I am satisfied."

Frigga smiled kindly. "I am glad to hear that, I do not think I have seen a full elf chambermaid at the palace before."

"I would not care if she is a dark elf/Jötunn mix as long as she does her work," Loki replied, less than satisfied that his mother seemed obsessed with talking about his staff. "Wherever she was found, we should check there more often."

You stood on the other side of the door, listening to what Loki was saying, your eyes wide with the way he spoke of you and others like you. Taking a deep breath, you tried to settle the shaking in your hands and walked into the room, the books you had gotten in hand.

"What has come of my request for an intelligent significant other dare I ask?" Loki asked, changing the topic of conversation and not paying any heed to your return.

Frigga sighed. "I am trying, but it seems that though appearances may be of vast contrasts, vapidness and unintelligence seem to be almost a requirement in young eligible females." The older woman stated. "Back when I was presented to your father, it was like every young woman was only permitted to be in society once she proved herself worthy of it, now every sort of dithering ninny is permitted to court." She shook her head as she spoke. "Perhaps Alfheim may hold the key to your conundrum." She suggested as she looked at you stacking Loki's books in his favoured area, you froze for a moment at her suggestion.

"Perhaps, why do you not check?" Loki stated bored, not wanting to have his mother focus on you and involving you in the conversation for a moment before he decided to bring you in himself, and called you over. "Perhaps you can answer this and save us time."

"I am not sure if I can be of any assistance to you sir." You dismissed.

"The Elvin court; is it as cursed with silly women as the Aesir one is, or are there any women of note there?" He asked, not even looking at you, but at his mother.

"I would not know sir; I was never privy to it." You replied honestly. "I lived away from the cities."

"In a Lord's manor?" Frigga asked curiously.

You swallowed loudly. "No Allmother, I did not have employment before here, I lived with my father and cared for our home." You answered, hoping that would sate her interest.

"Well, you must have had a wonderfully kept home if that is the case." The queen smiled.

Not entirely sure what she was getting at, you simply smiled and curtseyed, thanking her for comments, which, though you were unsure of their meaning, were clearly not said with malice. "Thank you, your majesty, but as I stated, I fear I know little of those of better breeding on my realm."

"Better breeding? Dear child, the circumstance of whom you are born to alone does not dictate the quality of ones breeding." The queen scoffed. "One's actions, demeanour and character are of far greater importance, a woman bred to a good family who has no goodness in her heart is not as well bred as the farmer's daughter who will care for an orphaned lamb because she cannot bear to see it suffer."

Liking the queen's analogy, you gave a small smile and nodded in agreement, before remembering your place and standing stoic once more. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"That is all for now." Loki informed you, "See if Wilhelm requires you, I will call on you soon with regards my dining arrangements for this evening."

"Of course sir." You bowed and left.

"'Sir' is that not somewhat informal?" Frigga enquired having watched you leave.

"I do not get Wilhelm to address me by any title in private." Loki shrugged.

"But Wilhelm has served you for nigh on half a century." She argued. "You are the same man that insists every last member of court uses your full title in your presence, if they only knew."

"That is because I despise the vast majority of them and them me, and I know it irritates them. As for my staff, if my maid is still here in four hundred years and not after having a family of her own, I will refer to her in the same manner I do Wilhelm."

"Do they work well together?"

"Very well, Wilhelm is very satisfied with her, I think him to be as happy as I with her."

"They are close in age," Frigga noted.

Loki cocked a brow. "Wilhelm is three centuries older than I, and I think her to be under millennia."

"Exactly, there are many of the younger women on staff that seem to go for men far older them."

"That is due to the fact they tend to try to get Einherjar that are at a pay level to be able to keep them," Loki argued.

Frigga thought over his words for a moment. "I had not thought of that."

X

"I think Loki wants to eat alone tonight." You informed Wilhelm when you saw him coming into Loki's rooms, running over to help him with the freshly made green attire the palace seamstresses had made the prince. Taking some of the clothes and heading to his wardrobe to place them inside neatly.

"There is a shock," Wilhelm answered sarcastically. You frowned at him. "The Lords are after bringing their families to court once more, meaning..."

"Their brown nosing, social climbing daughters are with them." You answered.

"Exactly, but of course, the vast majority of whom focus on Prince Thor." Wilhelm took a pair of boots from a box to put into the shoe area. "And that means the dregs will focus on Loki."

"And people think being a royal is glamorous." you shook your head. "Do any royals marry for love?"

"Honestly, I have never heard of anyone in court marrying for love," Wilhelm answered.

"That's pretty sad."

"I have heard of a few that have fallen in love with their significant others over time after they have married."

"Really?"

"Well, I have seen them admit to their fondness for one another." The servant answered.

"In their lives, I suppose that is all they can ask for." You sighed.

"Well, I have seen it happen in the staff too," Wilhelm argued.

"Have you had any suitors here?" You asked; the hand servant looked at you. "Sorry, that is intrusive of me."

"No, it is not really, we work in close proximity to one another, it makes some bit of sense to at least know the basics of one another." He answered. "I was seeing one of the girls in the kitchens; she was quite pretty and very nice..."

"What happened?"

"She thought her future would be more secure with a member of the king's guard, they make more money than us, so she could live in the guards' quarters with him and not have to work any longer, I would have meant she would have had to continue working."

You looked at him sadly for a moment, unsure if he knew himself of the sad tone he used as he spoke. "I'm sorry to hear that." It was the truth.

"What of you, did you have anyone before you came here? Have you left a broken-hearted man on Alfheim?"

"No, I was of no interest to anyone, they all knew my father would not..." You inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I had nothing to offer a man, so I was of little interest to anyone."

"They only saw you for what you could bring to a marriage based on financial insensitive?" He asked shocked; you nodded. "That is saddening."

"Yes well, at least it means none on Alfheim mourn my being gone that would have been worse in my opinion." You thought aloud.

"Do you have any interest in any of the men here at the palace?"

You looked at Wilhelm. "You are worse than any woman for gossip." You laughed. "The only men I see are Ciarán the chef, you and Loki all day, every day, and Ciarán is married with over two millennia, you are you, and Loki is, well Loki."

"What do you mean I am me? Who else would I be?"

"Well," you got a little embarrassed. "If I had a brother, I would have like him to be like you."

"I have heard of women 'friend-zoning' men, but 'brother-zoning'? I will take it as a compliment, more important than just a friend." He grinned.

"And no matter how much you annoy me, I cannot just get rid of you." You joked.

"No, you cannot." He grinned. "Only working together a month and already I cannot recall a time without you."

"Yes you can, you had to deal with incompetent maids then, remember?"

"I rather not." He shuddered. "So if you find someone, do I have to approve of him and threaten to kick his ass if he is unkind to you?"

"Is that not what brothers are for?"

"I am not sure, I have an older brother, he usually just tried to torture me. I have no idea how to deal with female siblings."

"Poor you." you jested as you continued to clean. "So the Allmother, she was chosen for the Allfather?"

"Yes, she is the sister of the current king of Vanaheim, her father arranged for her to marry the Allfather when the two realms brokered a peace deal over three thousand millennia ago, I think she was only about your age then, if not younger." He answered.

"Are she and the Allfather happy in their marriage?"

"It would seem so, they do not spend all day every day together, but there is something in their movements when they are in each others company, comfortableness and a synchronisation that has to be witnessed to understand." He attempted to describe.

"And she wants that life for her sons?"

"It is tradition, and they do not seem set on changing it."

"They asked me if there were any suitable women in the Alfheim court." You admitted.

Wilhelm smiled at you. "Loki asked you?" You nodded. "Take that as a compliment, it means he cares about your opinion."

You were left slightly baffled by the comment as the hand servant left the room and dealt with other issues the prince had requested of him.


	6. Chapter 6

"Wilhelm, can I ask you something?" You looked nervously at the hand servant as you walked forward.

"Well, I would be a terrible work partner if I said no, what's up Girlie?"

"There was an envelope on my bed this morning with money in it."

Wilhelm stared at her confused. "Right?"

"What do I do? Is it a test?" You asked nervously.

It took everything in Wilhelm's power not to erupt in laughter at you. "It is your wages."

"What?"

"Your wages, you did a month in hand, and you are now being paid for your time as a trainee maid, next month they will be based on a salary for being a chambermaid." He explained, chuckling at your confused face. "I told you already Girlie, you are not a slave here, you are an employee, you also get days off if requested, and if Loki requests we remain behind when he is on realm, you and I only have to upkeep the rooms, so effectively, we have the time off."

"You're serious?"

"And he'll make sure we are paid too." Wilhelm nodded.

"So that money, that's mine, to do as I wish?" Again he nodded. "What do I do with it?"

"Well you can get Adelaide to have it put somewhere safe until you need it, or I have a little safe box you can use if you need until you require something." He offered. "Loki is going on an overnight hunt with Thor tomorrow, so we have the afternoon off, if you need anything in the market, you can get whatever you need. I need to get a few things myself; we can go together if you like?"

Your eyes widened, part of you thought he was playing some sort of sick joke, getting your trust, pushing you to do these things, then having you make a fool out of yourself and be brutally punished, but if that had been his objective, he had plenty of time over the past few weeks to do so. "That would be brilliant, are we allowed, though?"

Wilhelm shook his head and sighed. "Yes, I told you already, you are not a slave or prisoner, you are a free woman, you are allowed to go to market anytime you want, but if you are supposed to be working, you will be in trouble if you do not complete your duties." He explained, "I mean it, you could go now if you really wished."

"No I can't, the bed is not made." You corrected.

"After that then," He gave you a bemused look. "Speaking of which, why are you changing the sheets today, I thought you did that yesterday?"

"I did, but they are drenched in sweat so I thought it best to just strip the bed." You shrugged, not thinking anything of it.

"He appreciates the attention to detail, so well done."

"From the way people talk, I thought this was going to be difficult, that Loki was some impossible-to-please ass that would never be satisfied, even he states satisfaction is not in his nature, so every day I have been waiting for some form of displeasure with my work, but I have yet to receive any, the closest I have gotten was from you telling me he likes to sit about a foot more to the left when outside."

"And?" Wilhelm did not know what you are getting at.

"I am still waiting to be reprimanded for doing something wrong."

"Do you want to be reprimanded? I am sure if you want to be randomly accused of being useless and incompetent, it can be arranged, but why?" The hand servant laughed. "What happened you before here, what life did you live to say you are so expectant of negative comments?" You bit the inside of your cheeks, but said nothing; instead, you chose to walk off, not wanting to get into how you had lived before the palace. Wilhelm said nothing, knowing that if you did not want to talk about it, he should not press the matter, but it was disheartening for the Aesir servant to see you clam up and not feel as though you could tell him what was bothering you.

"Wilhelm?" The servant turned to see Loki entering the rooms. "I need my sheets changed again today."

"Already done."

"Thank you for sorting that."

"I did not have to." The prince frowned at him. "Girlie did it without me having to ask her."

"Girlie? If that is what you call her, I would hate to know what you call me when my back is turned." The prince chuckled.

"One thing with you Loki, even when your back is turned, it is not turned."

"No truer words have been spoken." The prince agreed. "I told you already I am being forced to endure this blasted hunt tomorrow."

"You have, though why forced? You usually only go on the ones you wish to go on." The servant asked, taking off Loki's armour for him as the prince stood still with his hands outstretched.

"I have two options; endure Thor and his witless friends, or be forced to accompany Lady Amelia for the afternoon."

"Lord Tyr's daughter?" The servant's eyes were wide.

"Yes, that one."

"All of a sudden, a hunt with the warrior's and Thor bragging as though they slaughtered Fenrir himself seems very appealing, and it is an overnight trip too," Wilhelm commented.

"Who do you think suggested that?" Loki smirked. "Thor is too high for her, he needs a more powerful wife, but me, I am just the right level of unfortunate fool to have to be married off to someone like her, she is Odin's Goddaughter and Tyr is one of his greatest friends. I cannot risk being here and giving them the idea that it is anyway plausible."

"They'll pawn someone off on you sooner or later." Wilhelm reminded him.

"I know, but I am doing everything in my power to have it be someone with something resembling intelligence."

"Good luck with that." Wilhelm chuckled. "I hear you even enquired of Alfheim women."

"I am nothing if not thorough, you know that Wilhelm."

"I had noticed."

"Have you any plans for the afternoon tomorrow with your time off?"

"I am going to market, I need a few things, I am taking Girlie with me; she has yet to leave the palace since she came and seems to need a few things."

Loki raised a brow at that. "Of all the women in the palace, have you finally decided to try finding a partner once more with my chambermaid? You know I see you as a great friend Wilhelm, and that is why I find myself conflicted at this. I wish for you to find someone, but Norn's I finally find a good chambermaid and you want to..."

"You have nothing to fear of that." Wilhelm interrupted. "I am seen as nothing but a brother apparently, and to be honest, I am more than pleased at that."

Loki eyed him for a moment. "Good, I do wish for you to find someone again, someone worthy of you, but..."

Wilhelm cleared his throat awkwardly. "I am very much over Clara and her fickleness, and I would like to find someone, but in all honesty, Girlie would not be that she is a good woman, but there is something I cannot place."

"I do not understand," Loki admitted.

"Nor do I, but from what I have gathered, life has not been easy on her, and as a result, she is cold and sceptical of most things."

"Do you ever call her by her name?" Loki inquired, saying nothing of what Wilhelm had just said, instead keeping it to ponder to himself.

"Elvin names can be awkward." Wilhelm shrugged. "And so long as she does not mind, then no."

"Well enjoy, while I suffer the fools."

"Do you require anything?"

Loki thought for a moment. "If you can get a few fire-fawkes feathers, I can use them in a spell I have been meaning to try."

"From that trader off the square?"

"You make her sound somewhat shady when you say it like that, she was a trader for Alfheim for a few centuries, not sure why she decided to remain here, but she is above board, Enya I think her name is."

"If she is so above board, why are you not sending someone to retrieve the feathers under the palace provisions?" Wilhelm asked jestfully.

Loki gave him a sly grin in return. "Her goods may be legitimate, but the spell I wish to cast, well it lies in a grey area, and I do not want my father tying it to me."

"Dare I ask?" Wilhelm was concerned as to what the prince could be scheming.

"Nothing too bad, I assure you, you know I would never drag you into something that could risk your employment my friend, but I am going to exact some fairly harmless revenge on my brother and those warrior friends of his for their mocking of my seidr."

"Again? You think after all this time they would have gotten over it." Wilhelm shook his head in exasperation.

"Tell me about it." Loki sighed. "So please get some of them, five preferably, they would require one each, and a few of those rose sweets if you find them, they are divine, why Odin will not get them all the time I will never know."

"You should get Thor to suggest it, they would be obligatory in the daily rations then." The hand servant suggested.

"The most depressing thing there is that you are more than likely not wrong," Loki commented walking over to his food tray. "I need more fruit by the way."

"Where do you think Girlie is gone?"

"Is it wrong for me to hope she never wishes to leave?" Loki asked. "Where would I ever find one like her again, honestly, why do we not have more Light Elves working here?"

Knowing the answer to that, Wilhelm said nothing. He knew that Loki and Thor were blissfully ignorant as to how many of the staff were chosen for the palace, and it was not his place to upset the balance that was in place. "Well, I am full Aesir, as is Rebekkah, so too was Freda, and look at the difference in standards that separate us, it could be the same for Elves." He argued diplomatically.

"That is true, Norn's I was lucky to find her in the hall that day," Loki admitted, walking into his bath chambers to get washed after his day.

"Come on Girlie, we will never make the stalls if you take any longer," Wilhelm stated as he knocked on your door.

Sighing, you opened it, saying nothing as you want to walk down the hallway. When he did not follow, you turned to see him staring at you. "What?"

"You are in your serving attire."

"And?"

"Why are you not dressed in normal clothing?"

You bit your lips together angrily. "Because I do not have any."

"Why not?"

"Because I was dragged from my bed in the middle of the night by my hair, wearing only my nightdress, and brought to some hovel where I was stuck in a room with over fifty other women that had barely any lighting, only to have some random woman I now know to be the head of staff to pay some men for me, and brought here. I got to bring nothing of my home, no pictures, no clothes, nothing." Your eyes were filled with tears of anger as you replayed everything all over again.

Wilhelm said no more; instead, he walked toward you and pulled you in against him. "I think it is about time you had some new clothes then." He smiled kindly. "Do you have your money?"

"It's not much." You commented.

"Trainee maids and servants are terribly paid it must be said. They take into account your lodgings also in it, but because you are a chambermaid now to a member of the family, all your future payments will be far more substantial." He promised. "You will even have plenty of savings from it."

"Well, this will not go far." You pointed out.

"We shall see." He smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

"Three." The stall keeper declared as you asked after some underwear.

You frowned, three coins for something so basic seemed somewhat ridiculous; you were about to retrieve the money when you saw someone come into your field of vision. "Like Hel Stan, they are one and you know it." She snapped.

"Anna..." The man looked at her almost fearfully.

"If you do not give my friend the right price, here and now, I will call over a guard, and then tell your sister and mother." Anna threatened; a fire in her voice.

"Of course, a simple mistake on my behalf." He tried to laugh off nervously, but Anna's demeanour told him she was not the least bit convinced. "And something extra for my error." He threw in some stockings as well and handed the parcel to you. "Again, my apologies miss."

"I am not entirely sure the Allfather would agree with you trying to dupe some elves, it does not look well when he invites the Elvin merchants to trade agreements for our goods and for them to be sold off to us at a higher rate than they are to the Aesir." Stan went from looking slightly concerned to going pale and looking petrified. "Have a good day now Stan, and stop trying to swindle people." She half sang as she took you by the arm and brought you away. "Hello." She beamed at you.

"I have not seen you in so long." You pulled her into a hug which the other elf reciprocated.

"I know, I have missed you so much, we both have."

"How is Mya? How are you? Tell me everything." You asked.

"Well, Mya is working in the dining hall." You looked at her fearfully. "I know; that is not a good idea by any counts."

"She is adorably clumsy with plates and cups."

"She is, but amazing with children, she will be going to the nursery as soon as they are allowed take her, actually you have them annoyed."

"Me?"

"Yes, they were giving out they have to wait for Mya, while Prince Loki could just pluck you up at a moments notice." Anna explained, "But as Josephine said, there is a difference between the nursery head and Prince Loki."

"I didn't ask for it."

"We know."

"So what about you, where are you heading?"

Anna shrugged. "Not sure, I am doing okay at a few things, sort of 'a jack of all trades but a master at none' type thing, so they are thinking I am perfect for a bit of everything, helping where needed."

"How do you feel about that?"

"Good actually, I like variety, the idea of having to run around every day doing the same monotonous thing bores me." She sighed dramatically causing you to laugh. "Speaking of dull monotony, how is chambermaid life, what sort of odd things have you been asked to do?"

"You are like a sponge for gossip, aren't you?" You laughed as you stopped at another stall, eyeing a gorgeous dress you knew you could not afford.

"Yes, well, what can I say, you learn a lot when you ask the right questions," Anna stated in return. "That is pretty."

"I can dream right?" You gave a sad smile and turned to leave, bumping into someone as you did.

"Not really, get what you needed?"

You pulled back to see Wilhelm standing there, a ruffle in his tunic where you had unintentionally bumped into him, so you flattened it down. Anna eyed the two of you carefully, trying to figure out what was going on. "Yes, well I need to get one or two other things."

"Including non-work attire if I recall."

"Yeah, that." Anna cleared her throat next to you. "Oh Wilhelm, this is one of the elf's that came with me, Anna, Anna, this is Wilhelm, he is..."

"I am His Highness' hand servant." Wilhelm extended his hand and brought Anna's hand to his lips, kissing it gently.

Anna stared wide-eyed at the gesture for a moment. "So you two work together?" She asked.

You threw your eyes up, knowing what she was implying. "Only work, Wilhelm has been a Norn's send to me, he kept me from having my ass handed to me for incompetence."

"You reprimand yourself too often; you would not have been requested were you anything but brilliant." Wilhelm's eyes did not move from Anna as he spoke, something you noted, on turning to see your friend, you were unsurprised to see she too was looking only at him.

"Yes, well, we best get back."

"Sadly the only dress worth looking at is out somebody's budget." Anna shrugged.

"About that." Wilhelm reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag, indicating for the merchant to come over. "Have that dress brought to the palace with your wife tomorrow Mikhail, we'll arrange for it to be altered accordingly there." He handed over the cost of the dress to the man.

"Of course Wilhelm, and send my regards to your brother, he saved us from quite the predicament the other night," Mikhail smiled.

"I had heard; how is the mare now?"

"Lame, but it could have been far worse had he not realised such. Will I tell Leah to have it ready for alterations then? And of course, a small discount." He handed some money back to Wilhelm. "A friend of yours and all that."

Wilhelm indicated to you. "Girlie here is the only chambermaid that is worth keeping, we have got to look after her."

"No better man."

"Wilhelm, I..."

"Pay me back when you have your chambermaid's salary, trainee maids money is a pittance." He suggested.

"Okay." you agreed.

"Deal then, now, how about I treat you two to a drink before we go back to the boring mundane work of the palace." He offered.

"You are aware that it is rude to eavesdrop Mr Wilhelm." Anna playfully commented, following him.

"It would appear that I have forgotten my manners, how can I make it up to you Miss Anna?"

"I am not sure, but I will think of something, I have to get back, I was supposed to get a few things and return in time for supper."

"I will hold you to it." Wilhelm beamed.

"You better." Anna gave him a coy smile before embracing you and leaving.

After you said your goodbyes, you turned to Wilhelm. "That was mortifying."

Wilhelm stared back at you. "What?"

"You two, I have never seen two people so attracted to one another be so evasive about it."

"She is attracted to me?" There was an almost childish hope in his voice.

"Norn's, my mother was right, love is blind." You sighed in exasperation, making a note to assist the two flightless lovebirds in their seemingly abysmal attempts to flirt with one another.

"Anna was asking for you." You grinned as you placed Loki's new towels in his rooms and removed his old, used ones.

"You say such as though I should care." Wilhelm shook out the overcoat Loki wore over his armour, his demeanour showing that indeed, he cared greatly.

The actions were not missed by you, and you shook you head and laughed. "I could ask her if she is interested." you offered.

"I thought we were like siblings, you are supposed to be shooing suitors away, not encourage them."

"You have it wrong, the brother stops his sister from having any suitors, the sister prevents any unsuitable ones, and therein lies the difference." you corrected.

"Well, I do not have time, so..."

"She is really nice, and was a great help to me in settling."

"After...It does not matter, she would not be interested in a lowly hand servant."

"Because of course, a trainee maid is so high above you." You mocked.

"What is this of a trainee maid?"

You both turned to see Loki standing nearby having come into the room while you were discussing Anna.

"Nothing," Wilhelm stated sternly.

"Clearly, I need you to go to my mother and ask her for permission to pick some of her night flowers." He requested.

"When do you need them for?" The hand servant asked.

"Right away, she has a meeting with some ladies this evening, the kind I do not want to be anywhere in the vicinity of, so I need to get it done immediately." Not saying another word, Wilhelm gave a nod and walked out of the room. "Did you enjoy the market yesterday?" You turned to see Loki was speaking directly to you. "It was your first time, was it not?"

"Yes sir, it was. And I enjoyed it immensely." You gave a nervous smile. "I bumped into one of the girls I arrived here with while there, it was nice to see her."

"The trainee maid you were referring to just now I assume."

"Yes, sir."

"And Wilhelm likes her?"

"I believe so sir."

"And she him?"

"That I can confirm sir."

"Well, she is fighting an uphill battle for his attentions, and you with her if you are assisting her."

"I do not follow sir."

"Two hundred years ago, Wilhelm loved one of the other maids quite dearly."

"The one that married one of the guards?" You asked.

"He told you?" Loki seemed surmised at that.

"Yes sir, not many details, just the basics."

"Well it left a lasting effect on him, and myself it must be said, I realised there and then that women can be fickle."

"It is not a trait only applicable to men sir, though the reasons for fickleness tend to differ slightly. Men for youth and beauty, women for wealth and prestige, I think you are safe enough." You gave a small smile at that.

"You would think, but you see, there is one of greater standing than I, and that is the problem."

"Yes sir, but as you have stated in my presence, these girls, even if they wish to be are not prestigious enough for Prince Thor, though from what I hear, the ones that are so closely bred they lack functioning brain cells in many cases, it is better to be stuck with half an idiot than a full one."

Loki erupted in laughter at your words. "Norn's, that is brilliant, I am going to have to steal that."

"It is not stealing sir; I give my full consent to you using it. You can get away with saying that, I on the other hand, will not." You smiled.

"There is cruelness to your tongue." He declared. "I like it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Your work is very satisfactory, I am going to demand you are rewarded appropriately," Loki commended.

You waited for a moment, not entirely sure if he was jesting when you felt he was not, you immediately replied. "Thank you, sir."

"I am going to the country palace for a week soon, I want you and Wilhelm to accompany me for it, the other palace has a skeleton staff, but I want my belongings and rooms as I have them here, so I want you both to come also." He informed you.

"Yes, sir."

"While there, you will have more free time, so ensure you have plenty to occupy yourself." You simply nodded in return and went to continue your work. "And with regards this friend of your and Wilhelm," you looked at him expectantly. "If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to request it. Wilhelm did not deserve what that wench did to him, and he should not be so cold because of it, he will never be happy if he holds on as he is doing."

"Yes, sir." You nodded, giving him a small smile and continuing with your work.


	8. Chapter 8

"This is amazing." You looked around the smaller, less gold filled palace. "I..."

"You okay Girlie?" Wilhelm stopped next to you.

"It looks like home." You felt a lump in your throat. "Like Alfheim."

"I see." He was unsure what to say. "Do you miss it a lot?" You nodded but said no more. "Come on, I'll show you where we are staying." Wilhelm put his arm around you and guided you to the servants' quarters, not wanting you to dwell on anything negative.

You shared a common room, but had two separate bedrooms, both of which were very comfortable, larger than your room in the main palace, but you had to share a bathroom, a natural downside to it all, however, you said nothing about it, instead just looking around, feeling at home in your new surrounds.

"Girlie?" You heard Wilhelm knocking on the door. "We need to sort Loki's rooms."

"Two minutes." You checked your room again. "Damn it."

"What is wrong?" Wilhelm's voice was filled with concern.

"I cannot find my work clothing suitcase."

"But it was on the carriage, I know this myself." Wilhelm opened the door slightly but did not look around. "Are you decent?"

"Yes." You looked around again, as though hoping for the suitcase of work clothing to appear from nowhere.

Wilhelm felt awkward seeing you in just a dress slip but ignored it to look around the room too. "I placed it on the carriage, so I know it has to be here." He reiterated. "My cases were on both sides of it, so if they are here, it is too."

"Well, I cannot find it." You looked around again. "What will I do?"

"Put on the dress you got at the market." He ordered, thinking on his feet. "You only have to change sheets, fill food bowls and unpack his books, nothing else."

"Okay."

"We will look for it after." He smiled reassuringly. "It has to be here, it just is in the wrong room, wait and see."

"Right." You turned and got the dress that Wilhelm had paid for and had altered for you and put it on, "Could you...?" You turned around to show him where it needed tying.

"Em, sure."

"Oh for Norn's sake." You sighed in exasperation. "It is a dress, nothing more." Wilhelm tied the dress as best he could. "See, it did not try to bite your hand off." You joked.

"Come on, smart mouth." he stuck out his tongue at you as you both walked down the hallway to the prince's room.

"I mean it Loki; we need to deal with this soon. One of us has to at least show interest in this." You heard Thor declare through the door.

"I do not see you stepping forward for this less than prestigious toil. You are the older, you are the one that I am told daily will be king, ergo; you are the one who should have to be wed sooner." Loki snapped back.

You looked at Wilhelm, not sure if it was a good idea for you both to enter, but the hand servant only waited a moment before bursting in the door and into the room, you followed immediately after. "What do you need us to do?" He asked nonchalantly, as though he was in no way interrupting a heated conversation.

"The usual, you two need me to tell you what to do like my brother needs an ego boost." Loki dismissed, he eyed you for a moment and frowned, pointing to your attire.

"Girlie's clothes have gone astray," Wilhelm explained handing you the water jug, but you did not move, waiting to see if the prince was angered by your unsuitable attire.

"Who put them on the carriage?" Loki asked in concern.

"I did, so we know they are here somewhere."

"Have the servants scoured the palace for it, it is completely unacceptable," Loki growled. "Whatever fool brought your belongings to your rooms needs to be spoken to immediately also."

"I will have it done as soon as I assist you here." Wilhelm bowed.

"No, my belongings can wait, they are all here, do it now Wilhelm, we will make do until your return."

"Alright." Wilhelm put Loki's spare clothing down and walked out of the room again without any further instruction.

"I better do this." you lifted the jug slightly and walked off.

"You are too familiar with your staff," Thor grumbled.

"I am personal with my staff, they are both good and hard workers, I have no issue with either of them, as a result, they work harder in a comfortable environment, perhaps if you had adequate staff, you would understand; good evening Thor," Loki growled back.

"We cannot run from this forever Loki," Thor stated as he began to leave.

"Well, I am not going to cease running for you to run longer." Loki countered. "Your friends may fall on their swords for you brother, but I will not, not for this. In battle, I will fight to my death, but this is not the same."

Thor scowled but said nothing more as he walked out the door, almost crashing into you as he did so. "Sorry."

"No harm done your highness."

"At least you know who I am now," Thor commented as you opened the door.

"She has been here two months; sadly it was only a matter of time before she would be forced to bear that infliction," Loki stated as he came to the door ushering you in, you obeyed immediately, wanting to get on with your work. Thor only grunted back at his brother and went on his way. "Ignore that moron, do what I do most days and pretend he does not exist." Loki continued to eye the door somewhat ruefully as he walked back through the room.

"Ignore who sir?" You asked with a smile, causing the prince to grin.

"I have to say, every day that passes, I am more and more glad you came to work at the palace." He stated cheerfully as he went about something behind your back, causing him to not realise you froze at his words.

You looked around to see him seemingly content in his surrounds, utterly oblivious to how his words affected you. It was then you realised the prince had to be oblivious to the chain of events that led to you being in the palace. Biting the inside of your cheeks and said no more, not wanting to be rude to your employer, who had never been anyway but good to you, and continued with your chores.

After an hour, Wilhelm returned to the rooms looking perplexed, your suitcase in hand. You had finished all of your chores, and most of his, there was only the duty of running Loki's bath that needed doing, something you refused to do as it was not your place as a female maid to assist in, and Loki had insisted he could wait for.

When you saw the case, you smiled. "Where was it?" You enquired in relief.

"In your room," Wilhelm stated, causing you to stare at him. "Yeah, in your room, on your bed."

"That's not possible." you shook your head.

"I know, I checked with the skeleton staff that live here all year round and they said that they did not see it at all and that they had thought it peculiar that you only had one case and every other member of staff had two." Wilhelm expanded, his tone telling you that he was not too sure how to process that either.

"But it wasn't there."

"I know, I was there too, go get changed and see if everything is there while you are at it." He held it out for you.

"Everything is done bar Loki's bath." You stated, taking the bag.

"Great, you're the best." He grinned heading for the bathing area.

"I'll be back before he is done." You rushed to the servants' rooms and got what you needed from the bag, cursing that you had forgotten to ask Wilhelm to untie the dress before you left, leaving you to struggle to get it off, thankfully, you got it opened eventually and were able to get it off. Changing quickly, you made to tidy the bag until later and went about getting back to Loki's quarters.

When you arrived, you were slightly shocked to see a partially dressed and annoyed Loki looking at Thor with his arms folded; with Wilhelm beside him, staring lividly at Rebekkah beside the older prince, along with his hand servant, Frederick, who you had met a few times, and seemed to be a friendly enough character. As soon as everyone noticed you were in the room, they turned to look at you; a strange feeling entered your stomach of nervousness as you noticed Rebekkah looking at you smugly.

"A ring that Thor and I had commissioned for our mother has gone missing on our journey, have you seen it by any chance?"

Your eyes widened immediately and you felt as though your heart was about to pound out of your chest. "Sir, I swear, I have not seen any jewellery of any kind since our departing." You answered honestly.

"And before our departing?" Thor asked, long used to his brother's use of words to make him seem innocent.

"Before departing, the Allmother was wearing a great deal of jewellery, to say I did not see it would be a lie, she practically resembled a river on a sunny day." You answered.

Loki gave a small smile at your response. "She has a point."

"Rebekkah thinks all bags need to be searched, and I agree," Thor stated, not looking at anyone in particular. "I have called on Josef, the Einherjar to search them all."

There was a terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach, and the look on Wilhelm's face you wagered matched that of yours; both of you simultaneously thinking of the fact your case had gone missing. "Loki..." Wilhelm started.

The younger prince raised his hand and the hand servant silenced. "I have a sneaking suspicion as to its whereabouts then." Thor looked at his brother expectantly. "Guard." An Einherjar that was positioned in the hallway came in immediately. "Go to my chambermaid's room and bring her suitcase here immediately." He turned to look at you, his face one of anger, though you could sense it was not at you. "Where is it?"

"By the door, next to a chair." You answered automatically.

Loki looked at the guard, "You heard her, go retrieve it."

"I do not follow Loki," Thor stated.

"Wait and see brother, wait and see." A few moments later, the guard returned, along with the head of the princes' guard, Josef, the bag in hand. They looked at the dark haired prince for further instruction. "Search it, but be careful of the contents." He instructed.

You watched, crimson-faced as the guards went through the contents of the bag bit by bit, opening your folded undergarments and all as they searched it. After a minute, Josef stood straight, a small velvet bag in his hand you had never seen before. He untied it and turned it upside down, and from it, dropped a golden ring with rose coloured diamonds on it, which he held up.

You felt Thor and his servants looking at you, as well as the guards, your breathing began to come rapid and in short breaths. "Sir..." You turned to Loki.

"I know." He smiled reassuringly.

"Loki, you saw yourself..." Thor began.

"You are an idiot Thor." The younger growled. Thor frowned back at him. "Your memory is that of a fly."

"What are you talking about?" Thor demanded, insulted at Loki's mocking during such a serious matter.

"You were in the room when you heard that her bag was missing, it has been out of her possession for several hours, ergo, there is no way to know that she had anything to do with the ring going missing, you could punish her for someone else's doing." He explained.

Thor exhaled, it was true; he had known her bag was missing, Wilhelm had declared such barely a moment after entering Loki's rooms and he trusted the hand servant almost as much as his brother did, he had been a loyal servant for his whole adult life, as had his brother and parents. He nodded in acknowledgement of such. "Where was it found?"

"On her bed, Wilhelm stated he checked with the staff here, none had seen it. He had been in her room with her searching for it, so it is certain that it was not there before her coming to my rooms and it being declared missing."

"You are telling me it was not seen by any staff here, and then magically turned up on her bed?" Thor asked.

"Magically, no. I would sense any magic in the vicinity, it was placed there by hand, by whom, we can only speculate, so we cannot point fingers, so we can only keep an eye out for this true thief in the future, but I will not have my maid accused, fired and imprisoned for something that cannot be proven without doubt." Loki insisted.

"No." Thor agreed, "That is not right." He turned to the guard. "Josef, make sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Yes, sir." The guard nodded his head slightly, placing the ring back in the velvet bag and going to Thor to give it to him.

"I'll take it." Loki insisted, "I can place a spell on the bag for if any try to open it but a seidr wielder, that way only mother or I can open it as is."

"Perfect." Thor agreed. "Well, we best get ready for dinner, come on." he indicated for his staff to follow him, which they did, Rebekkah glaring you as she did.

"I thought you had it in a box," Loki stated, looking at the small bag.

"I did," Thor answered.

"Have you seen this bag before?"

"No, I have not."

"I did not think so," Loki responded, though it was more that he was speaking to himself out loud.

When they and the guards left, you felt your body shaking all over. Wilhelm rushed to you and held you against him. "It is okay."

"I did not..." Your voice broke as you began to cry.

"We know Girlie, we know." He soothed.

Loki came into your view. "Honestly sir, on my mother's soul, I never..."

Loki raised his hand to stop you. "I know, this is a woman's velvet pouch, but you have nothing that would go in it do you?" You shook your head. "You are not here long enough to be buying unnecessary items such as this, and you could not have known about the ring, because I discussed it's designing with Thor, in his chambers, and it was delivered there."

"Loki?" Wilhelm asked.

"I have a suspicion as to who owns this bag, but I cannot prove it, and that that being was in the chambers both times when the ring was discussed, as it is their duty to be. Also, they had access to Thor's belongings." You bit your lips together as you gathered who he was implying. "Get Josef back in here, I needed Thor to leave so I could discuss this with him." He ordered Wilhelm, who obeyed dutifully. You stood there, not sure what to do. "Get your belongings together, you have endured enough shaming this evening." He instructed which caused you to snap out of it and do as you were instructed. "No one tries to toy with my staff and gets away with it."

Josef came into the room, looking at you as he did. Loki ordered you and Wilhelm to leave and closed the door out to speak with the guard in private.


	9. Chapter 9

The two princes went for a hunt the next day, leaving you and Wilhelm to spend the majority of your time in your common room, silently in each others company.

"You are allowed go around if you like." Wilhelm offered, watching you look out the window, having only read two lines of the book on your lap, something you had been doing on and off for the passed hour.

"I think I am best off staying here." You sighed, not wanting to think too much about the reason behind your self-banishment to your rooms.

"Loki knows it was not you, neither do I or Prince Thor and Frederick for that matter and even Josef is on the lookout for what really happened." He assured you.

"Wilhelm, you and I both know what happened, and we both know I am just so lucky you mentioned it in front of Loki and Prince Thor earlier. I could be thrown out, or worse, charged with stealing from the royal family, I would be imprisoned indefinitely for such a thing." You stated nigh on frantically.

"Calm yourself Girlie, there is no good to be had from losing it." He rose to his feet. "You and I are going to go for a walk together."

"I do not feel like it." You stated petulantly, looking out the window again.

"I do not care if you feel like it or not, this is not up for discussion, come on." He insisted, pulling you to your feet and dragging you along with him.

"If you are forcing me to, then I am going to demand to know every last thing about you." You threatened with a grin, hoping to deter him.

"I can do that." He smiled in return, seeing your face fall. "Where shall we start?"

"I hate you right now." you stated in a deadpan voice.

"I am brilliant at this brother thing." Wilhelm declared proudly as you cursed him in Ljósálfar.

"So, you have a brother, and he is older." You began.

"Yes, Broderick. He worked at the palace for a time, but now works for himself as a farrier." Wilhelm explained. You listened. "He is married with two daughters, my nieces, two demons."

"You say that with too much affection for me to take you seriously." you commented.

Wilhelm laughed, "They are a handful; twins, so they are always in mischief together, but thankfully they are very close." He smiled. "They hope to have another child, but they are scared."

"Of that, there may be two again, or that it will join its sisters on the side of mischief?"

Your comments had Wilhelm laugh again. "Both actually, you will have to meet Broderick someday, he would like you."

"Do you see him often?"

"A couple of times a month, I was actually speaking to him just before we left."

"And your parents?"

"My father was a cook at the palace, but he has passed on now, and my mother lives with Broderick and his wife, she was an innkeeper's daughter, she met my father when he came to the inn one day, the one I offered to bring you and Anna to that day."

"And what of...?" You did not know should you ask of the girl that had crushed Wilhelm's heart.

Wilhelm's voice turned slightly cold, but he decided to talk about her. "Her name is Clara, she worked at the palace too, similar enough to you, she had come to be on Asgard by means that were less than favourable, her father was cruel, so she fled. She was beautiful of face, but clearly not of character. She did not want a man to love, but a man to keep her. Being Loki's hand servant for so long meant I had a decent salary, but not a spectacular one, after all, you see what there is in keeping his rooms."

"So she went for a guard instead?"

"We were at war with Muspelheim at the time, she probably thought that his dying there would mean a large sum be given to her if he passed."

"Have you seen her recently?"

"Not in over half a century, thank the Norn's, but Broderick has, and her inner ugliness is beginning to seep out if he is to be believed. She is also supposed to be a horrendous mother."

"That's sad; for the children involved at least."

"Yes." Wilhelm agreed.

"I know it probably hurt at the time, and I am really sorry it did, but I am so relieved you avoided her."

Wilhelm smiled down at you kindly. "I really loved her, and it really did break me somewhat, but yes, I too am glad it did not come to be."

"So, Anna..."

Wilhelm threw his hands up in dramatic fashion. "Norn's, you cannot be serious, going straight to that after this."

"I warned you I would not go easy on you."

"After Clara, how can I trust a woman in such a manner again?" He asked, his voice small.

"You just have to put faith in it. There are no guarantees either way. I know Anna well, and I can tell you day and night that she would never do such a thing, but she could."

"This is a really terrible attempt at getting me to have faith in this Girlie."

"But you cannot guarantee it will happen either." You countered. "You may miss out on something wonderful for nothing."

The hand servant said nothing for a short time after, contemplating your words. "What about you?" He asked as you passed a large hallway, leading in a few different directions, him choosing to go straight on, you following blindly. "You have said, that you were dragged from your bed and that you were brought to wherever you were kept, but you never said anymore."

"There is nothing more to say." You replied coldly.

"How did that come to pass?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does to you, so surely, as someone that cares for you, it should matter to me too."

"My mother died in childbirth, the baby died a few days later, she was too old, she apparently had me too old too. My father loved her dearly, so he did not take it well, he drank for a time, and then his interests turned to gambling also. He died and well, he had apparently gambled our home, our belongings, me." Wilhelm's face was one of heartache at your story. "So they came when I was asleep, and collected their debt."

"Did they hurt you?" He demanded.

"Not like that no, I would not be worth as much had they, they sold me to someone, who in turn sold me to Josephine, and that is how I came to be at the palace."

"No wonder you have issues with trust," Wilhelm commented.

"So, that is our stories." You sighed, looking around.

"I know now why you think you are not free, but I assure you, you are," Wilhelm stated.

"How can I, I cost the palace money?"

"I am not sure how it works, we can try to figure it out of you want?"

"Loki is oblivious to all of this, is he not?"

"I believe so yes, he and Prince Thor would never in a million lifetimes ask how their servants come to be at the palace, ergo, they would never bother to concern themselves with where we come from."

"Do the Allmother and Allfather know?"

"Honestly, I do not know. Again, perhaps we can find out." He offered.

"I am serious Wilhelm, you need to consider Anna, you deserve such happiness." You smiled, wrapping your arm around his and hugging it.

"I will think about it."

The Allmother came three days later, wanting to spend some time with her sons, away from the hustle and bustle of the court. That evening she insisted that both join her for dinner, something both men did without question.

"All has been well in your time here?" She inquired as they sat close together on a long table, their food being placed in front of them.

"Nothing of note, a few hiccups with the palace not being used for so long," Loki smiled in return, Thor nodding in agreement.

"I have heard differently from my maids." The queen stated. "I have been told there has been an irregularity with a maid and some jewellery."

Loki's lip twitched in anger. "That is being dealt with."

Thor waved a hand and the servants all left the room. "'Being' what are you doing Loki?"

"Start at the beginning, for those of us who have not been here from the start." Frigga insisted.

"My maid, her suitcase bearing her work attire did not arrive to her rooms on her arrival, I sent Wilhelm in search of it. He had assisted her in looking for it before coming to help me unpack, there was no sign of it. When he went in search of it again, he found it in her room, on her bed, a place both of them scoured for it, what is also noteworthy is not one member of the staff here saw it either."

"That is most peculiar. While Wilhelm was searching for it, the maid was..."

"In my rooms, under my eye, the entire time," Loki answered.

"She left to get a jug of water." Thor interjected, "But there is no possibility she could have gotten back to her rooms before returning with it."

"When Wilhelm handed her the bag, she went back to her rooms to change, while she was gone, it was discovered something Thor and I had commissioned was missing. It was suggested by Thor's maid that we search the servants and maids bags." Loki continued.

"And it was in your maid's bag?"

"At the bottom, under her belongings," Loki answered, toying with the rim of his chalice.

"I see." The queen thought pensively. "She is hard working, and my maids tell me she is nothing short of courteous and does not speak ill of any, so who could possibly be trying to set her up in such a manner?"

"She and Wilhelm work well together, he too is concerned as to who is doing this to her. So I have Josef keeping a close eye on everything that is afoot in the palace here, especially concerning my maid."

"You know for certain she did not do it, brother?" Thor asked, though there was no accusation in his voice.

"You forget who I am Thor, I can smell a lie a mile off, that girl did not even know that existed, much less took it. The velvet bag it was found in, she could not have even afforded, according to Wilhelm, every coin she earned from her time here went on basic supplies when she went to the market, she owes him for that dress she was wearing when she arrived."

"A trainee's wages will get no one a velvet bag," Frigga admitted. She leant forward, placing her hands together and leaning her lips against them. "This is concerning, though, we must not let this go any further. Whoever is doing this must be punished accordingly, no matter who they are, agreed?" She looked at both sons, who nodded and voiced their agreement in concern.

"Wilhelm," Loki called for his hand servant; you had completed your duties and were gone to bed, tired from the day, but Wilhelm still had a few duties to perform. "My mother had heard of what happened with the ring."

"Her maids heard from Rebekkah, they told me themselves." The hand servant stated.

"Does she know they are speaking about her?"

"If she does, she has not said anything of it, but it is not her nature to do so. This has upset her greatly, but she ploughs on, it is her way."

"What is her story Wilhelm, Josef has been enquiring, but nothing is known of her here? Why did she come here?"

Wilhelm swallowed. "With all due respect Loki, that is something you will have to enquire with her, not me, and she is not very forthcoming with that sort of information."

"Do you think she would steal jewellery?" Loki asked.

"You know I do not, you forget Loki, I know you, I have done for centuries, and I know your skills, had you thought for one moment she had, then you would have cast her out into the wilderness yourself."

"Actually, I would have had her imprisoned, she seems as though she would survive being cast out," Loki grinned. "I know she has not done anything, and we both know who is setting her up, the question is, why?"

"I am doing some research into that myself." The hand servant answered. "Blaming her for Freda being fired is not motive enough, we can only wait and see."

"Report anything you find to me."

"Report?" He asked, brows rose. "Is that an official order?"

"Do not get smart with me Wilhelm," Loki warned, though there was a smile on his face. "Or I will have to have this Anna maid assessed appropriately." The prince chuckled at his servant's face. "You think I would not find out?"

"You are too nosy for your own good."

"Perhaps, or perhaps I care enough to enquire. I am told she is good and hardworking."

"Girlie needs to learn to keep out of the gossip ring," Wilhelm growled.

"Has she been pushing you?"

"She is as badgering as I would imagine a real sister is."

Loki chuckled. "Good, I am happy for you, my friend."

"Any sign of a worthy wife for you?" Wilhelm asked, trying to get Loki's attention off him.

Loki sighed. "Sadly, no such luck for myself, and Thor is trying to force it that I am forced to be married off first, so the focus will be off him."

"But as you stated, you are younger, he is supposed to do what is expected of the crowned prince, marry, have heirs and take the throne, such pressure should not be on you."

"And yet it is." Loki felt nothing but contempt. "There is no justice; I get the worse of every lot." The hand servant silently agreed.


	10. Chapter 10

The rest of the visit to the smaller palace went by without incident, and it soon came time to return to the great palace in the city once more. The carriage you travelled in was filled with tension; you shared it with Frederick, Wilhelm, and Rebekkah, all of whom were looking among themselves, not saying anything, but only one topic on everyone's mind. You just stared at your hands, not wanting to even think about it, but only being able to.

"We have arrived."

You looked at Prince Thor's hand servant, thinking him to be joking, you had only been in the carriage a few hours; it was not possible for the journey to be over yet. Emerging from the carriage, you realised you were at a small, quaint inn in the centre of a woods. Looking to Wilhelm, you hoped to get an explanation.

"We are staying here tonight. The royal family are going to stay with a close friend of the Allmother's, but there is not room enough for us all, and we are surplus to requirement, so we are going to stay here."

"We had better not be sharing rooms," Rebekkah stated.

"Does this place look as though it can fit us all separately you silly cow?" Frederick snapped. "Norn's, how did you get the good chambermaid and I get stuck with that useless tart?" Frederick demanded to Wilhelm from the side of his mouth. Rebekkah scowled at him. "That face is an improvement of the one you usually have." The other hand servant commented.

"I am not staying in the same room as a thief." She declared loudly, knowing people around them would hear.

"That may be a physical difficulty," Wilhelm commented with a knowing grin on his face. "Girlie, do you care if we share a room?" You shrugged.

"Wait, why do I have to share a room with Rebekkah?" Frederick groaned. "I had to spend the past ten days sharing a common area with her."

"Why should either of us suffer her?" Wilhelm argued.

"I am right here." Rebekkah declared angrily.

"I think that is the issue." The words left your lips before you could stop yourself, causing the hand servants to chuckle.

She glared at you spitefully. "Forget you lot, I will stay with the Allmother's maids." She declared leaving them behind.

"What did any of them to deserve that?" Wilhelm commented.

"Who cares, she is not our problem now. The sooner she is gone, the sooner we can get on with our lives." Frederick sighed, walking into the inn.

"Is she planning on leaving?" Wilhelm asked.

"She made the point to tell me she plans on getting the head of housekeeping position." You added, following the men.

"Not this side of Ragnarok she is not. I have heard there is something is afoot." Frederick stated.

"Your source?" Wilhelm asked sceptically.

"Adelaide."

"That's good, there is a chance it is true so." Wilhelm sighed in relief.

"And the sooner the better."

You had to agree with Frederick.

The meal was delicious, and the other maids sat with you and the two hand servants, talking about all matter of things, especially the upcoming games that would be held in the city. Rebekkah decided not to join the group. You sat listening, not knowing what they were talking about.

Seeing this, one of the Queen's maids, Josephine decided to explain it to you. "Every year, there is a week of games, of all manner of sport, mostly combat to determine who is the best of the Aesir at several things. Needless to say, others are permitted to enter from other realms, but as the realm with the greatest warrior force, we surpass all others, and of all our warrior's, one surpasses them all."

"Prince Thor?" You wagered.

"Prince Thor is good, but there is something to Prince Loki, I dare say the day is close approaching where he will surpass his brother." Another maid, Anya declared.

"No, the Allfather will make sure that never happens." Wilhelm shook his head as he spoke.

"You are biased, Wilhelm." Frederick disregarded.

"Then why is it, coming up to every tournament, Loki is magically required for all manner of work bar training, in fact, four years running he has been sent off realm, why, why that week my friend?" Wilhelm challenged, Frederick could not answer. "You see, even the Allfather knows Loki is getting too good to allow in competition with his beloved heir."

"And with that, I am going to bed for myself." Anya rose to her feet, Frigga's other maids following suit.

"I have a suspicion that if I stay here, I will be dragged into a conversation I am not knowledgeable enough for." You smiled as you too rose to your feet.

"You are by yourself for the night are you not?" Josephine asked you.

"I believe so as my supposed roommate refuses to stay with me, yes." You replied.

"Thank the Norn's; you do not mind if I go in with you, do you, lass?" She asked.

You smiled at the older maid. "If you are alright with sharing a bed."

"I come from a time and place where a bed would have been a luxury, I am not one for complaining, and you are such a slip of a thing, it will not be like there is anyone else there."

You smiled and led the way to the room. "So you are the Allmother's head maid is it?" You asked as you began to get out what you needed for the night from your case.

"Not exactly." The woman stated. "I was, at one stage, but my daughter had her first child, my first grandchild, so I took a lesser role so I could help her, the child took a lot from her, so she needed the assistance, of course, Frigga did not hesitate to allow it, she is such a good woman, but then, she birthed a considerable child herself."

"Yes, Prince Thor is more like an ox than an Aesir." You agreed.

"That is an understatement." She chuckled. "She was not well for some time after that."

"I see. The maid that is with child, she did not come, is she alright?"

"Tara is too heavy with child to come, it would be too great a strain on her, she only does half day's work at present, and only because she herself insists it, the Allmother does not wish for her to over-exert herself."

"You enjoy working for the Allmother, do you not?" You asked.

"How could anyone not, she is a good woman." She smiled. "I have been working for her for two thousand years, and there has not been one day I wished to be anywhere else."

Your eyes widened at that. "That is a long time."

"It is." She agreed, "And in that time, I have seen every sort of worker and person come through the staff, some are good, more are bad, and most are mediocre. There have also been too many that are not trustworthy." You looked at her sadly. "But you, you are not one such maid, you are a good worker. I hear Prince Loki is very pleased with you."

"He seems to be."

"Seems to be? Lass he has demanded you be given an increase already. Not two months his maid and you are being given the same salary as that useless wench Rebekkah."

"I thought she has been here years?" You asked.

"There is one way to describe that girl," Josephine stated. "If there was work in the bed, she would sleep on the floor."

You bit your lips together to stop yourself laughing, but you failed miserably. "That was rude," you self-reprimanded.

"Perhaps, but it is true. Night lass."

"Goodnight." you smiled, getting into the bed on your side and curled up to go to sleep.

The next day was uneventful; a few smart comments from Rebekkah with regards Josephine checking her belongings, but other than that, nothing of note, and finally, you were able to return to the palace and in turn, your usual routine.

You were carrying a jug and fresh fruit back to Loki's rooms, minding your own business, when Josephine came towards you.

"Hey, lass. I need you to come with me."

"I...what?" You were completely at a loss at what she was saying.

"The Allmother wishes to speak with you for a moment." She explained. "Bring those to the prince's rooms and we'll head together." She offered.

You did just that, the older maid silently walking along with you. Neither Loki nor Wilhelm were in his rooms, so you placed what you had with you where they belonged and walked back out again, terrified as to what you were walking towards. You knew that there was only the slightest journey between Loki's rooms and his mothers. "Josephine, am I in trouble for something?" You asked, your voice shaking with fear.

"I cannot tell lass, all I was told was to find you and bring you to the Allmother." She replied. "She did seem to be in a concerned mood, but not a bad one."

You inhaled deeply, it could be a lot worse, concerned did not mean angry, and that was something. "Right." You exhaled again as you came to a beautifully ornate door.

"Do not stress lass, if there was something afoot to really concern yourself with, you would have known in your own mind beforehand," Josephine smiled, opening it, and walking inside, you followed dutifully.

Inside were a few of the maids you had been with for the time at the country palace, along with a few you knew to see around the palace. They watched you come in curiously, but nothing in any of their demeanours suggested any judgement or animosity. Josephine walked you through the room and came to a halt close to where you suspected there was a balcony behind a large curtain. You could hear voices outside, one male and one female, their words mere mufflings through the thick curtains.

"See that he does, I want this matter dealt with as soon as possible." The male voice commented, just on the other side of the curtain. It pulled back and you felt your head rise to see the towering figure over you. He seemed almost as broad as he was tall, his hair long grey with age, and where should have resided his right blue eye, was a golden patch in its stead, and in his hand, he held a huge golden staff, bigger even than himself. Immediately, you knew who it was that you were in the presence of; you had finally seen Odin himself in the flesh.

"And this is coincidently the only time this can be done," Frigga asked, her voice somewhat challenging to her husband.

"Meaning?"

"You think he cannot see what you are doing, five consecutive years this will be dear, he is too intelligent to not realise it. Why not, for one year, have Thor be gone, that way when Loki wins the games, people will think it is only because Thor is not here, and you can still hold him above his brother, and not have it be Thor as perpetual champion, or perhaps it is time they are able to face each other publically." Odin turned to face his wife, his anger apparent. "What is so wrong with the public seeing that Loki is the better fighter, he is to be Thor's right-hand man, his top general, surely to witness his abilities can only be a good thing."

"Thor is to be King, and a King must be seen as above all others," Odin argued.

"That is debatable." Frigga countered, her tone matching his. "You cannot treat him like this; he will only become colder if you do."

"That is a trait a general has to possess."

"A coldness to one's enemies, those who wish to harm those you, love, yes, but not to those you are supposed to love. Let him compete." Frigga beseeched.

"It has been arranged already, there is no going back on our word now, clearly you do not remember the fickleness of the Ljósálfar, they would take it as an insult and we will not be able to rectify it for centuries. They are nothing if not resentful." It was at that moment he turned and looked at his wife's maids in front of him, and then down at you, as you were directly in front of him. "Speaking of which, what is this?"

"Well to state you said 'speaking of which' you know it is an elfin maiden," Frigga stated coldly. "She is Loki's chambermaid."

"Loki has an elfin chambermaid?" Odin frowned at her. "Since when?"

"With nigh on two months." His wife shook her head in exasperation. "What does it matter?"

"Since when have we had elves working here?"

"I think we currently have six on staff in total," Frigga stated indifferently, not too sure what her husband was getting so irked by.

"Five your majesty." Anya corrected.

"Five then."

"And this one is Loki's?"

"She works for Loki, she is not a possession, he does not own her." His wife corrected.

"Do not get into semantics Frigga, you know well what I meant," Odin growled. "I must speak with Adelaide; have her sent to my rooms." He growled to Josephine, the maid gave her employer a momentary glance, the queen nodded, and the maid made her way to the door once more. You looked nervously at the king, who seemed almost fascinated by you. "You have my pity dealing with my contrary son daily, that is all I can say." He stated, before leaving the room.

"Norn's that man can be a headache." You heard Frigga sigh as she rubbed her fingers to her temple. "I am sorry to call you from your chores, but I wished to speak with you for a moment or two."

"Is everything alright with my work, Your Majesty?" You asked fearfully.

The Queen looked at you sadly. "Yes, according to my son, your work has been more than satisfactory, so much so that he is after requesting you a pay rise already and anytime I have come to his rooms, I have witnessed myself your good work." She gave an encouraging smile. "Come out onto the balcony with me." She moved to go back to where she had just been with her husband, you followed dutifully, looking around wide-eyed at the beautiful view she had from it. "You seem to think everything you do is about to be ridiculed." She commented.

"I work for the royal family of Asgard, everything is expected to be perfect." You answered politely.

The Queen nodded slightly at that. "That is almost true, perfection is something all strive for, but I doubt many with any form of intelligence will state exists. We request brilliance, it is true, but perfection is not something any can achieve."

"Then why...?"

"You have had a less than pleasurable time of it of late." You looked at her fearfully. "I have been informed of what someone has done to you. My son knows that you were in no way involved in the terrible act you were accused of doing, and I too believe it."

"Thank you Your Majesty." You felt your heart skip a beat in relief at her words.

She gave a smile at your reaction. "How are you doing? He is not the easiest person to deal with."

You frowned. "Honestly Your Majesty, I have not had a single issue with your son." The Queen cocked her head slightly at you. "He has been nothing but pleasant to me and I enjoy working for him. He is meticulous, yes, I would never state otherwise, but so am I, as is Wilhelm, it leads to there not being any conflict with regards my work."

"I am glad to hear that." She smiled.

"Can I be bold your Majesty?" The Queen nodded. "Why is Loki being seen as being a better fighter than Prince Thor not allowed?"

"I honestly do not know." She stated, her upset blatant.

"It cannot be easy to be forced to watch your sons be pitted against each other as they are."

"It breaks my heart."

"How can Loki ever be his brother's right-hand man if he is forced to be made hate him?"

The Queen swallowed, looking at you fearfully. "You think he will?"

"How can he not?"

"In so little time, you have figured my Loki out, has Wilhelm been of help with that?"

"He does not have to, even the blind could see it."

"If that was so, you would think even with one eye, my husband would see that." Frigga sighed.

"He is blinded by something that is not lack of sight." You commented.

"You are such a good fit for my son." She smiled. "You best go back to your chores."

"When is he to be told he is leaving?"

"I had best do it soon, get some of his favourite foods from the kitchens, he is not going to like this. Prepare yourself, you are about to see Loki at his worst."


	11. Chapter 11

To everyone's surprise, Loki seemed utterly indifferent to being told that he was to miss the games for another year; even Wilhelm seemed unsettled by his reaction. An evening a few nights after being told, he ate the dinner you brought without comment, sitting at his study desk, researching something he clearly had plans to concoct, going by the fire-Fawkes feathers he was swirling in his fingers.

"Can I get you anything else sir?" You asked cautiously, acting as though the usually calm royal was a volatile chemical, since you, like everyone else, were expecting him to erupt like a volcano at a moments notice.

"Where is Wilhelm?" He asked, not looking away from whatever he was reading.

"He has the evening off sir, his mother is ill, so Broderick called on him. If you want Thor's hand servant, I can get him." You offered.

"You are a far better-suited candidate, you know well how everything is here, Frederick is used to the useless oaf's manner of doing things, not mine," Loki stated.

"What do you require sir?"

"Nothing of yet, so just remain until it is time to ready for the evening."

"Yes, sir." you went to where you knew Wilhelm to sit and settled down.

"Has there been any more on that other maid?" You looked at Loki. "The one that caught Wilhelm's eye."

"No, sir, not to my knowledge at least, but I am wearing him down." You smiled.

"Good, it does not upset you?"

"Sir?"

"His interest in another. It has been noted by many, my mother included of your closeness."

"Sir, I am not interested in Wilhelm in such a manner, and I sense that that feeling is very much reciprocated." You smiled fondly.

"Not many would want a brother, if you are looking for more, you can have mine."

You laughed. "Thank you for the offer sir, but I could not take from you something you would so sorely miss."

He glared at you, causing you to laugh again. "I would not miss him."

"Given the opportunity, I dare say you would not miss him in any manner." You added.

Loki chuckled. "That is very true," he sighed in frustration. "But of course, there is no way to prove it, yet again."

"I am sorry sir, but you can take pride in it."

"And how is that?" He asked.

"It means the Allfather is frightened, that he knows you are too formidable to risk allowing it to take place."

Loki took a moment to assess your words. "That is debateable."

"You are being taken off realm for fear at all you would consider showing up Prince Thor, forgive my bluntness sir, but there is only one reason for that, the Allfather, and perhaps even Prince Thor know you are too good to defeat." Loki looked at you with interest. "You know his technique, you know his weaknesses, you can counter them, you can defeat him, and that; to the Allfather is too dangerous."

Loki cocked his head and looked at you. "What do you know?"

You looked around for a second, not knowing if you should state. "I heard the King and Queen in discussion with regards the matter, the Allmother argued that for once, you remain and that Prince Thor be sent off if the Allfather did not wish to see you battle one another, she fought your corner, even stating that you beating Prince Thor was not a bad thing, but the Allfather would not hear of it, stating that Prince Thor needed to be seen as the most powerful."

"Where did you hear this?"

"In the Queen's rooms, she called me there a few days ago; the Allfather was there upon my arrival."

"Why did she call on you?"

"To see how I was faring as your maid."

Loki rose to his feet, causing you to jump to yours. "Why are you so forthcoming with answers to me?"

"You are my employer; and the God of Lies, it would be futile to not be honest with you, and I do not wish to get on your bad side for no reason, the manner in which everything seems almost seamless in your rooms is too good to destroy."

"A wise decision." The prince commended, his tone somewhat distant.

"Are you alright, sir?" He gave a grunt in response. "I'm sorry."

Loki turned to sit back in his seat, eyeing you carefully. "You are quite loyal."

"Some would think that a fault."

"Do you?"

"Yes." Loki's brow rose at the voice you stated such with such convictions. "I do."

"And what occurred to cause you to think that?"

"It does not matter." You sat looking away from the prince, something that should have earned you a reprimanding, but he simply watched you curiously.

"We need to discuss the matter of that ring," Loki stated you looked at him again fearfully. "We need to get the culprit to admit to it."

"That will not happen anytime in the next century." You responded, looking away again.

"Well then, we set up the circumstances for which they may." He grinned.

"Unless you commission another piece of jewellery, I cannot see how."

"As the God of such, I can confirm, there is always the chance for mischief," Loki grinned.

"I shall take your word for it." You sighed, looking ahead of you.

"I gather you were not one for disobedience as a child."

"Elves are not renowned for misbehaviour."

"Sounds dull," Loki stated in disgust.

"I guess so."

"I need you to hold this for me." you turned to see him holding the feather upside-down over a pestle, a small blade in his hand. You obeyed immediately, rushing over to the God and took the base of the feather. "Do not touch the plumage itself." He ordered.

"It burns." you nodded, he frowned at you. "I was good at potions in my lessons." You explained.

"You studied potions?"

"Yes, I know it was usually for male elves only, but..." You ceased talking, not wanting to explain any further, not wanting the prince to know the reason you studied it was based on your father not paying any heed to your rearing and being forced to take the lesson as a result of his negligence. "It was an error that worked in my favour." You explained.

"You do not talk about yourself often."

"I am an elfin chambermaid sir, what could I possibly have to say?"

"Often those with the greatest stories to tell are not the Lord's and merchants that walk the realms in their finery, but the penniless writer, that has made his way among them and experienced them as they really are." The prince stated, nicking the base of each piece of plumage so it would fall where he wanted it to.

"From my studies, I know that little good can come of you making this."

Loki froze for a second. "Leave the room."

"Sir?"

"There is a chance that there may be repercussions for this, it is unfair for you to be put into a position where you would have to reveal my actions."

"I will say nothing because I know nothing." You smiled, feigning ignorance, holding your hands up. "I am blissfully unaware of anything you are doing, after all, female Lsósálfar do not study such things. By the way, you are best dicing the ginger root without the skin on; it makes it more awkward than it need be otherwise." Loki grinned at you and he took your advice.

"Wilhelm is not able to accompany me to Alfheim; you shall have to go in his stead." You looked at Loki. For the past two days, Wilhelm had not been at the palace, his mother had gone from bad to worse, so on top of your own duties, you had taken on his also, though that was in part on the request of Loki, but on your own doing so without asking.

"Yes, sir." You frowned.

"This is not a problem is it?"

"No, sir." You forced your tone to remain neutral, but the over-vigilant God noted it immediately.

"Is there a reason why you should not spend a day or two on Alfheim, a man you were betrothed to and fled, a debt you fled?" He asked curiously. "You should tell me of such in advance, perhaps I can be of assistance?"

"No sir, I mean, thank you for the offer sir, but I...when I was brought to Asgard, I left nothing behind, nothing at all." You stated sadly.

"Your parents?" Loki asked, cocking his head slightly. You shook yours. "Any siblings?"

"None at all, sir." You repeated.

"I am sorry, had I known..."

"You could not possibly have." You dismissed, continuing to pack his bag. "Do you need any other attire other than what is packed?"

Loki eyed you for a moment. "Three tunics, they should suffice, I have little doubt no sooner are the preliminaries over and I cannot enter, I shall be called back." He commented scornfully. "So Alfheim does not hold good memories for you?"

You winced internally at him continuing his line of inquiry. "No, sir, it does not."

"Would you rather not go?"

"I would rather not, but yet, I am none too pleased of waiting here either for my duties to recommence, not since the..."

"Has there been any comment on the incident?" Loki asked.

"Little mention sir, usually from Rebekkah, but still, the thought that some people think I would..." your voice trailed off.

"The first time I was blamed for a situation, I was not even in the palace when it occurred. It was General Hans's horse, it got free from its stable and brutalised another horse that was set to cover a mare before covering the creature himself. I was gone sneaking off to...well not somewhere within the palace, and it was blamed on me."

Not sure what the prince was getting at, you furrowed your brow, but you also felt for him. "I am sorry to hear that sir, how old were you?"

"I had just started my advanced studies, so about five hundred years."

"You were only a child."

"Well, I was at that awkward age where one assumes they are older than they are, but are truthfully still blissfully unaware of true work and such. I received a terrible disciplining for it. After such, when I went to the stables, even to get my horse, every member of staff would look at me, expecting me to do something terrible, something wrong. I later found out it was Lady Jeanne, General Hans' own daughter that did it, but I still got the blame, I got the reputation."

"That is concerning sir, for it never left you, the title of chaos and mischief."

"That is because I decided to become what they all accused me of being; if I was going to be blamed for it, then why not give them what they wanted?"

"By any chance, when you decided to do so, did the Allfather, by being forced or electively, spend more time paying attention to you?" You queried.

"Does such matter?"

"Not really, I am simply formulating a picture in my mind."

Loki looked at you as though you were mad. "And dare I ask, what is that?"

"That the attention you were receiving for your unwanted behaviour was, to you, more appealing than the no attention you were getting beforehand."

"You think I want his approval?"

"It is what every child wants, is it not?"

"And what of your parents, did you meet their standards?" Loki half demanded, angered at your being able to understand his actions with such ease.

"I cannot remember my mother, and were I to dig a hole to the core of the realm; it would still be above my father's standards." You replied coldly. "I had best get your tunics." You stormed out of the room as fast as you could, leaving a confused and shocked Loki in your wake.

Thor strutted through the hallway, excited for the games that were starting the next day, knowing that though it was almost a guarantee he would rise victorious, they would make for good sport.

"Where is Loki?"

Thor turned to see his father behind him. "Good afternoon to you too father," he replied, irked that his father seemed more concerned with Loki than him. "What has he done now? Easy knowing he is gone off realm for a few days if he is leaving some trouble in his wake."

"He has already departed?" Odin inquired, not sure how he had managed to miss the Bifrost opening.

"Yes, about a half hour ago, him and that chambermaid of his." Thor rambled. "Too frightened once more to face me in the ring, knowing I would make him look the fool." He chuckled proudly.

Odin's face paled. "The maid? Why is she gone, why not his hand servant, why the maid?"

"Something to do with the hand servant being away and she being the only other one to understand his requests." Thor dismissed, thinking it to be unimportant.

"Get them back." The old king bellowed.

"Father?"

"That maid cannot go to Alfheim."

"She is already there, and why not? She is a Light Elf, is she not? What is the issue?" Thor asked.

"The issue is, we have no agreement with Alfheim concerning elves working on this realm and the fact she was brought here by..." the king stopped himself. "I spoke with the head of staff and let me just say, that should the Lsósálfar figure out something, we are going to have a very justifiably angry delegation of elves landing at the Bifrost."

Thor looked at his father in bewilderment, wondering what had the king of the Aesir so concerned, especially concerning a small little elf.


	12. Chapter 12

"Prince Loki, how good of you to come, perhaps if we are quick with this work, we can get you back in time to compete in your realms great games." King Njall smiled.

"It is a great pleasure to see you again Your Majesty, and there is little reason to concern yourself with if I am able to get back, without being rude, the reason this was all of a sudden of concern to my father, was simply as a method to have me off realm for their duration," Loki explained curtly.

"I was wondering what the meaning behind this all was, the agreements in place do not expire for almost half a decade." The king commented. "It is a pity; I hear tell that training bouts between yourself and Prince Thor are something worth bearing witness to, such is the intricate and intense nature of them."

"Yes, they are. But fear not, there is no way that we can be kept apart in the arena forever." Loki grinned.

The king nodded, agreeing with the dark haired prince. It was then that he seemed to notice you, standing stoically behind Loki. He eyed you in an assessing manner, clearly curious to you being there. "Indeed, and what a momentous day that shall be. I had best let you get settled; we will speak more of business tomorrow, but today, please feel free to move about this palace as though it was your own."

"That is very kind of you." Loki gave a low bow. "I look forward to our discussions." He turned to you, indicating for you to follow after him; you did so without comment, curtseying to the king before you did so.

The king gave you a small smile as you left, but there was no denying the curiosity in his features as you walked behind the palace butler who had been ordered to show both you and the prince to the rooms you would reside in for your stay.

"What else do you require, Sir?" You asked as you finished stacking his books neatly on a desk in his room.

"Nothing else that I can see," Loki looked around the rooms.

"Would you like me to run you a bath Sir, the butler stated that dinner is served late, or if you are feeling tired, I can have it brought to your rooms for you?"

"Thank you, a bath would be pleasant, as for dinner, inform the butler that I will be there at whatever time they require." You nodded and set about readying the bath, as soon as it was readied and Loki went to the bathing chambers, you went in search of the butler.

"It will be at eight sharp." He informed you curtly on your finding him.

"Excellent, I will tell His Highness." You smiled, unused to being spoken to in your own tongue after three months of Allspeak. "He is punctual, so expect him ten minutes before."

"Then he will be early, not on time." The butler frowned.

"To Prince Loki, anything short of ten minutes early is being late," you smiled.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" You looked at the butler, "How does a Light Elf end up the handmaid of an Aesir prince?"

"I am his chambermaid, not his handmaid, he has a hand servant, he was just unable to make the journey due to a sick family member, I am his chambermaid because he asked for me; apparently I am to a standard suitable for the employment by a prince."

"Employment?"

Your nose flared for a moment, and you bit the inside of your cheeks. "Yes, employment, the palace pays me well for my work. I am the best paid young maid there." It was not a lie, you were not even a thousand years old, and were on a salary. The fact you had only received one payment so far was irrelevant, when you returned, you would be met with your second payment, though the most of that would have to go to Wilhelm, but the other elf did not need to know that.

"That is good to hear, but why not seek employment here on Alfheim, if you are that good, the palace here would have been more than happy to offer you employment, and you would be close to your family."

You shrugged. "I am where suits me." The other elf said no more and you went about your business.

When you returned to Loki's room, the doorway to the bathing room was slightly open, it had not been on your departing, and there was steam filling the bed chamber. You heard Loki's voice inside, muffled by the fact it seemed to be low and the door was only ajar, what shocked you was when a feminine voice seemed to answer. Biting your lips together, you said nothing; it was not your place. Chambermaids and hand servants were privy to things not even their employer's family were privy to; it was not your concern.

"Are you deaf, dumb, or a mixture of both, I told you to get out of my quarters right now?" You turned to see Loki, in only a towel, holding a young elfin woman by the arm, and bringing her to the door of his rooms. "If you know what is good for you, you will not darken my rooms again, am I understood?" Loki let go of her arm and the elf nodded fearfully before running out. Loki swore to himself and turned around, his eyes widening slightly at seeing you in the room, looking at him, your features not saying anything of your thoughts. "A little warning of the 'welcome' here would have been nice." He stated plainly.

"I already told you, sir, I was never in the cities, I am from the forests." You shrugged plainly. "I informed the butler you will be dining with your hosts this evening, sir."

Loki's eyes narrowed slightly, but you did not move in the slightest. "What time?"

"Meal starts at eight sharp, sir."

"I will be there..."

"Ten minutes before, I have them forewarned." You finished.

"Good, thank you." he nodded.

"If there is nothing else..." You began to head for the door.

"I did nothing with that elf." Loki blurted out.

"With all due respect, Sir, that is none of my business." You replied, walking out. "Call me if I am required for anything."

Loki did not call on you for the rest of the afternoon; not long before he was due to go for the evening meal, you walked to his rooms to prepare what he required for it. Inside, you could not see any trace of the Aesir royal, but knowing what was required of you, you started preparing the clothes he needed. Getting lost in your work, you began to hum to yourself as you set out the clothes he would wish to wear for the evening meal.

"What is that?" You shrieked in terror, not realising you were no longer alone. Turning around, you saw a slightly startled looking Loki behind you. "I apologise, I should have known you would not realise I was here."

"What is what?" You asked, your heart feeling as though it would actually remain in your chest. He cocked his head slightly at your question. "You scared me half to death asking 'what is that' what is what?"

Loki recalled the question. "That song you were humming, what was it?"

"An elfin song, it is quite old, I am not sure when it is even from, I just remember hearing it all the time as a child." You explained.

"It is very soothing."

"Our music tends to be." You gave a small smile.

"I often forget you are elfin." Your brow raised as you looked at him sceptically. "Well yes, you look like an elf, but you just seem so adaptable, it is easy to forget sometimes."

"Well, that is how to survive is it not, adapting?"

Loki looked at you for a moment. "Have I offended you in some manner?" He asked.

"Not at all, Sir. What would make you assume that?" You asked, your face remaining neutral.

"I am aware that you and I do not speak with the same level of informality that occurs between myself and Wilhelm, but we are usually very cordial, are we not?"

"I would like to think so." you agreed.

"Yet since this afternoon, to say your demeanour is stoic and as formal as I would imagine Odin's maids are with him, would be an understatement," Loki stated, studying you closely as he spoke.

"I have it on good authority that the Allfather is very amiable to his maids." You retorted, a small smile on your face. "As for my demeanour here, if I am honest Sir, I am not entirely comfortable in my surrounds."

"You are not pleased to be in the palace? I would have thought that most elves would enjoy seeing how their royals live from the comfort of residing within their palace." Loki asked.

"Perhaps they would, I do not know what other's opinion on that topic is, but in general, I am not comfortable with being on Alfheim. I would rather be back on Asgard, in more familiar surrounds."

"Well, it is good to see you see it as home. I do not find much pleasure in being forced off-realm for these matters either, so know that we will be back as soon as I am able to get us there." He smiled reassuringly, you simply nodded. "And regards earlier..."

"You seem somewhat concerned with my opinion on that matter."

Loki cleared his throat awkwardly. "I...It is not particular that, I..."

"You are going to be late if you do not start getting ready." You interrupted. "Do you need me to draw another bath, Sir?"

"No, that is not necessary, I will just change." He looked at the clothing you had set out and waved his hand. The day attire that he had been donning a moment before was now on his bed and the clothing you had set out was now on his person. "You chose well."

"I am not going to lie; I am far too envious of that ability." You commented as you indicated to the different clothes, he chuckled at your remark and made for the door.

"I will no doubt be forced to endure hours of terrible talk and gargantuan acts of egotism, so please ensure there is a glass of mead awaiting me on my return." He commented.

"And willow-bark tea?" You asked knowingly.

"That would be perfect, thank you." He gave you a genuine smile, one seldom seen by any other than you, Wilhelm and the Allmother.

You fell asleep early enough, not too concerned with anything; should Loki want you, he knew well how to call on you. After a few hours, you woke to hear the bell ring for you to attend to him. In your time working for him on Asgard, he did not call on you once at night, but there, Wilhelm had dealt with many of his needs, so you assumed that it was one of them that he required your assistance with now. Rising from the bed, you quickly changed and made your way to his rooms. "Are you alright, sir?"

"There you are."

You groaned, he was clearly quite drunk. "Let me guess, potato spirits?"

"They would not shut up, so I wanted to drown them out, but that was far stronger than I was anticipating." His facial features were overly dramatic as he spoke, which should have been highly amusing, but all that came to you was your father and the years you had put down dealing with his addiction.

"Yes, that can catch people out." You stated plainly. "Can you magic your clothes to change?"

"I can, but it is very difficult to do in my current state."

"So, no, you cannot, alright." You looked at the attire he had on. "Untie the lace on the top of your tunic and we can get it off."

"You do it." He stated almost childishly.

Sighing, you set about doing different tasks to get him ready for bed. "Lift your arms." He did as told and you pulled the tunic up.

"You know, all evening, I was surrounded by elves." He stated factually.

"That tends to happen when one is in Alfheim." You answered, fighting with his boot to get it off his foot.

"But they do not look like you."

You frowned, "I am a Light Elf, they are Light Elves, how can we not look somewhat alike?"

"You are far prettier than all the other elves here." You froze. "That tart that came here earlier, who, I found out is actually King Njall's illegitimate daughter, is not half as pretty as you are."

"Okay, I think it is safe to say, you have exceeded your recommended intake and then some." You pulled his sleeping pants out from under him, as he had sat, very unsanctimoniously on it when he arrived. "You need the willow-bark tea and a copious amount of water."

"I need to find a wife that is like you." He declared sadly.

"A maid?"

"No, smart, funny, pretty."

"Yes, well, we can look for her tomorrow then, after your talks, when you are sober."

"I cannot believe my father did this to me, sending me away five years in a row as though I would not realise."

"Speaking of which, your mother warned me you would terribly, but you did not react at all, why?" You asked, hoping to use his current state to answer the question you had been pondering since that day.

"It is what he wants, he wants me to get mad, to react badly, I could not give it to him, but," he leant forward and whispered, "can I tell you a secret?" You nodded. "I could not contain it, I went to Svartalfheim, and there was a city there, long abandoned, I demolished it, every last brick." You looked at him in shock. "There was nothing left, I was tired by the end of it."

"That makes sense." You acknowledged.

"Yes, after all, I am the God of Chaos, am I not, but he wanted me to react badly, to be able to punish me, I would not give him the pleasure, though, I am smarter than that." He grinned slyly, though his grin was somewhat lopsided in his current state.

"And with that, I will bid you goodnight." you smiled, hoping to get him to get into bed.

Loki pouted. "But you did not help me into my pants, and out of my other ones, though it is supposed to be the other way around, is it not?"

Your eyes widened, "I am supposed to do that?"

"Wilhelm would."

"Wilhelm is male." You countered, pulling his pants down.

"Why are you mad at me?"

"I am not."

"Yes you are, I can see it on your face and I can hear it in your voice that you are lying, why? why are you mad?"

"I am not." you pulled his day pants off and as good as forced his feet into his night pants, not looking at him as she did so.

"Yes you are, why are you lying?" He held onto your shoulders and swayed slightly as you pulled the pants up his legs. At that moment, you recalled the many nights your father would not even be able to get in the front door without leaning on you for support, your face contorted for a mere second to one of disgust before you could train it back into a neutral one, but the astute prince caught it. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"I may be drunk, but I am not stupid, you are disgusted by me." He pulled back, his balance off, so he stumbled slightly. "I know I am not the specimen that my brother is, but a look of disgust is new." he sounded enraged, but behind it all, there was no denying his hurt.

"You are being ridiculous." you dismissed, your own anger rising.

"No, no, I know that look, I am not being ridiculous, you are being ridiculing, you did not think I would notice in my current state so you thought you could finally unleash your true thoughts, this is what you think of me, this is how you genuinely feel, that I am revolting, disgusting."

"You are being a fool."

"Do not speak to me like that, I am a prince, how dare you." He growled indignantly.

"This is the problem with drinking, it can make even the most intelligent being seem like a blabbering, stupid fool." You stated coldly.

"So now I am a blabbering, stupid fool." He commented.

"I said it makes you 'seem like one'." You corrected.

"Well, do not hold back, what else am I?" He glared at you, stumbling in his current state.

"You do not require anything else from me this evening other than me telling you to get some sleep, so I implore you to drink the tea and some water so that you may return to your true, intelligent state by morn." you turned to leave.

"Do not turn your back on me." He called indignantly, reaching out to pull you back to him, but you dodged it easily, causing him to lean too far forward and fall toward to floor.

Seeing him fall, you reached around and used your body to prevent him crashing face first into it. "Norn's, have I not done more than my fair share of this already?" You asked; tears of rage in your eyes.

"What do you mean? One evening, I do this once and you make it out that you have to endure such daily. You are lucky you do not, so many others have to serve drunken fools."

"There is no need to tell me such, I did so for long enough." You growled hatefully, sitting him back onto the bed.

Loki frowned and looked at you. "You said you had no employer before me."

You realised your words and cursed having said them. "I did not."

"You did not as in you did not have one, or you did not as in you never stated such?"

"The former." You clarified.

"Then how?"

"Never mind."

"No, how is that possible?"

"It is not relevant." You dismissed, turning to leave again.

"No, I want to..."

"My father." You turned and shouted. "All my life, I dealt with my drunken father, who did nothing but drink day and night, neglecting everything else for the sake of the next drink; while I had to clean up and look after his sorry, pathetic hide each and every day since I can remember and probably before, so to think that I had to deal with that, and am now having to see you act almost as he had, has my stomach sick and my blood boiling."

Loki stared at you in utter shock at your revelation. As you tried to settle your breathing, you realised just how out of line you were, and the terrible manner in which you had spoken. It was true, Loki was never messy, or was he the hindrance your father had been. So many would have the notable occasion they would get drunk, but that was not what you were used to. Knowing that there would be repercussions for it in the morning, you turned and left the shocked prince, returning to your rooms. Sleep evaded you for the rest of the night until the sun rose, all you did was lie on the bed and think of the life you had endured with your father.

In his quarters, Loki sat, drinking the tea and the water, thinking the same thing, wondering what you had endured in your life before you had come to the palace.


	13. Chapter 13

Terrified of what repercussions were awaiting you, you made your way slowly to Loki's rooms. You were exhausted, having not slept after your outburst, and your head pounded painfully from the stress of it. After drinking some willow-bark tea yourself, you held another cup of it in your hand, knowing the effects of the last cup would well and truly be losing its effect for the prince.

You opened the door and walked through the living area, making your way into his sleeping area, you looked around; your nose crinkling at the smell of alcohol, the room was still in darkness, so you made your way to the window to open it.

"Please do not." Loki's voice seemed pained.

"The meeting is in two hours, if you are to be washed, fed and ready on time, you need to get up now Sir, I have another cup of willow-bark tea for you." You decided to act as though nothing had happened.

"I am aware, but until such time as I have drunk that cup, could we please keep the room in darkness?"

You walked over to the bed, your eyes getting more used to the very dim conditions of the room, and surprised to see Loki sitting up in the bed. "Here." You extended your hand that held the cup.

"Thank you." His hands encased yours as he took the cup from you. "I apologise for any and all things I may have said last night, I am not sure what happened."

You bit your lips together, part of you wanting to tell him exactly what happened, but the logical part of your brain overruled it almost instantaneously. "It is alright Sir, elfin potato spirits are very strong, they require some getting used to."

"Did you ever have some?"

"A time or two yes, but the sensation afterwards is not worth it." You explained, in truth, you had tried the liquid when you were young, wanting to see why your father chose it over caring for you, and then to try and drown out the sheer misery of it all, but it was as you had said, not worth it all, so you never touched it, or any other alcohol afterward.

"It is evil."

"I concur. Do you require me running you a bath?"

"Truthfully, how do I smell?"

"Like a distillery."

"That is brutally cruel."

"The truth usually is."

"Then a simple wash will not suffice, please run the bath."

"It will help the willow-bark go through your blood stream too."

"Then make it a hot one."

"As you wish sir." You went into the other room, the sound of Loki blowing on the tea before taking a sip being the last thing you heard before you entered it.

As Loki bathed, you received his breakfast from another maid, smiling politely at her as you did so. You set the food out on his dining table and opened the heavy, light-preventing curtains slightly as you did so. The light in the room increased slightly, allowing for the prince to adjust before his day forced him to endure more.

"Thank you." You turned to see a slightly meek Loki standing behind you, though he seemed far fresher than he had on your entering the room.

"You are far more polite after you have drunk excessively, has anyone stated such to you before Sir?"

"My mother and Wilhelm have both noted such actually. Apparently, my mother has done everything in her power for my father to not meet me in such a state, she fears he would have me perpetually so if he found out." He smiled.

"That would not be pleasant." You agreed.

"I am sorry for waking you last night, I cannot recall anything, but the neat state of my clothing states I did not remove them myself before getting into bed, I am sorry if that made you in anyway uncomfortable."

"It is my duty sir, there is nothing to apologise for." you dismissed.

"Did I say anything that I should not have?"

"Does saying you adore your brother more than life itself and that he is the greatest being to ever exist count?" You asked with a small smile.

"I was inebriated, not brain damaged." he stated in disgust.

You erupted in laughter at that, causing the prince to wince. "Sorry, but not really."

"That is terribly cruel; there is a dark streak in you." He declared.

"It is true, it is true." You nodded in agreement. "Now, get eating, or you will be, Valhalla forbid, late."

"That would be unforgivable." He stated plainly, sitting down to the food. "What is this?" He asked, stabbing something with his fork and holding it up."

"Elderberry."

"Is it edible?"

"No, they put it on the plate to poison you." You replied sarcastically.

"There is no need for that." He took a meek enough bite of the food on the fork. "It is not as bad as it looks."

"I am sure you will survive. Make sure you eat the yellow fruit, it helps with drink related ailments."

"This thing?" You nodded as he pointed to the fruit in front of him. "Are you sure?" He asked sceptically.

"I can guarantee it." You responded, not able to prevent the coldness in your voice, something you were sure would confuse Loki since he clearly did not seem to recall any of his embarrassing behaviour or your admission from the night before.

As you went to ensure everything he required was ready for the prince's day, Loki watched you studiously, taking in your demeanour and thinking over all you had said.

"Good morning to you Prince Loki, how are you after last night, I dare say you may be regretting your decision to drink as you did." King Njall looked knowingly at the prince.

"I feel better than I should I suspect, my chambermaid is well versed in the cures for the ailment I bear it would seem." He smiled.

"How so?"

"She recognised my drink of choice within moments of my calling for her assistance last night, and was able to give me the remedy." He explained.

"She is a full citizen of my realm, is she not?" The king asked curiously.

"To the best of my knowledge, she is, though I have not inquired with her on her parentage," Loki replied.

"Has she been in your employment long?"

"Not overly, she was new to the palace when I came upon her; I liked her work ability and ethic, so I requested her to be moved from her previous department to my own."

"And why did you bring her here?"

"My hand servant was otherwise occupied for these few days, so I had her come in his stead. I am somewhat finicky to requirements, and she is well versed to how I prefer things. Is there some issue with her being here?" Loki asked curiously.

King Njall looked at the prince again for a minute, he was thinking of a manner in which to raise the issue, but not try and insinuate anything. "I am not sure."

"Speak freely Your Majesty, what is said here and now will go no further, nor will it infringe on our talks to come." Loki urged.

"The current agreements..." Njall began.

"What of them?"

"Well, they do not permit my people being employed on your realm."

Loki looked at him in intrigue. "But there are Ljósálfar working in Asgard, I have seen them, some of them are business owners in the city."

"Yes, that I am aware of, they are traders, given the special allowances to work on Asgard for a few centuries, but overall, as a rule, Ljósálfar are not permitted such liberties."

Loki looked into empty space, his able mind thinking over what to say in response, he turned to face the King again. "Why ever not? My maid is by far the greatest worker I have had; she is meticulous and very able."

"There is no questioning the abilities of my people and their dedication to their work, but that is precisely the issue." Loki looked at him, urging him to continue. "It has been an issue I have been trying vehemently to stomp out. There is a huge underground slave trade taking place on my realm, all manner of young elves are being taken and sold, both on and off realm." He explained.

Loki looked at him wide-eyed, shocked at what he was saying. He was not naive, he knew slave trading, though illegal on most realms, still occurred underground in all. "You are not implying the House of Odin, the Allfather..."

"Of course not, never; it is just, peculiar that an elf would make her way into your household." Njall looked at you again.

"Well, as my chambermaid, she is of course, well looked after and well paid for her great work." Loki gave a reassuring smile.

"Good, I am glad to hear when my people are being treated well." He smiled in return. "I do not mean to imply anything Prince Loki, or to make you think I am questioning the Allfather..."

"Loki raised his hand, "Nothing of the sort, I am just glad that you care enough of one of your people to even mention it. Now with regards the matters at hand."

Frigga walked across the Bifrost with purpose, she did not tell her husband or her older son where she was headed, she did not want them to know what she knew. She brought no maids or guards, she simply walked alone.

When she reached the Bifrost itself, Heimdall stood staring across the realms. "What exactly is it you seek Allmother?" He did not look at her as he spoke, his gaze continuing to look over the trillions of beings that existed in the realms.

"My son."

"He is in discussions on Alfheim, but that you already know." The guardian stated sagely.

"Are they going well?"

"In appearances, it is being made to seem so."

"I do not follow."

"There is more afoot here than we thought my Queen. We are in a game of chess, which is taking place with our player in the dark."

"So we are in agreement, any Ljósálfar that are found to be residing on Asgard, that not there of their own will shall be given the option to return to Alfheim, or remain on Asgard as suits them, and all knowing buyers of such elves will be punishable by means decided upon by both realms?" Loki verified.

"Agreed." King Njall nodded. "Can I ask Prince Loki, did the Allfather truly give you the power to make such agreements without his agreeing to them first?"

"He sent me here alone, were he concerned for what I would agree to, the surely it was his own downfall to not send me with a council, or indeed, sending me at all."

"So many fear Prince Thor for his strength and his brash hastiness of head, but it is you that is the one to be wary of." Njall declared, looking cautiously at the young prince.

"I take that as the greatest of compliments," Loki grinned slyly.

"Indeed." Njall studied the younger royal in detail, noting his grin. "We should adjourn there for today, and this evening, I invite you to join my Lords and myself for a small drink to celebrate the great day that our realms have shared."

"That is too kind of you, your majesty." Loki gave his most humble of bows, "Should I change, or is my current attire deemed appropriate?"

"It will suit you well where we are going, my second in command is a powerful Lord with an income to be envied, but he prefers the humble things in life, it is to his home we shall travel." Njall rose to his feet and Loki followed suit, "So please, follow me." Loki obeyed.

You rubbed your eyes, tiredness had set in about two hours ago, and though you yearned to be asleep in your bed, you knew you should remain awake. It was clear that Loki was taking part in yet another night of heavy drinking going by the time on the clock on the wall. Talks would not continue so late when there was yet days to come of them, especially when it was predominantly non-issues both sides were discussing. Part of you was livid at having to deal with this situation; in one manner because you were a chambermaid, a glorified cleaner and not a handmaid, Loki already had Wilhelm for that donkey work, but also because you did not want to have to deal with such matters. You had done your share and then some with your father, you did not care how much of a pay increase the Prince was offering, it would not be worth it if this became a regular occurrence. A knocking on your door woke you from the internal rant you were currently in. Wrapping a shawl around your shoulders, you walked over, half expecting to see an inebriated Loki on the other side.

"You are Prince Loki of Asgard's chambermaid, are you not?" asked a young servant, about your own age.

"I am." You confirmed, looking at him warily.

"I have been told to retrieve you, your master is gone to the residence of Lord Henricus for the eve."

"I see, well thank you for informing me, I will set his rooms for the morning and make myself readied for bed." You smiled politely as you went to close the door again.

"I have been told to retrieve you." He repeated bluntly, "Prince Loki has requested you follow him to Lord Henricus's estate."

"I am to go to this Lord's estate?" You asked, somewhat shocked at the request, the other elf nodded, "Why?"

"That is for your master to explain, not I; though I would imagine there specific requirements he wishes fulfilled that apparently, other maids cannot do." The elf gave you a disgusted glance up and down as he answered.

"I do not think I like what you are implying, and to be honest, it concerns me as to what you think is normal services between a maid and their employer." You retorted. "It strikes me as though you hold me to whatever standards you degrade yourself to."

"Employer?" He seemed to half spit the word as he scoffed it.

"Yes, employer, my beginning wage was higher than that of a tutor here, and it has increased substantially through my employment, I am well paid and well cared for, and you and I both know that that sickens you. You are nothing short of envious of me, now excuse me, clearly, my employer wishes for a competent elf to tend to him, and not some sloth in the dress." You grabbed a heavier shawl that was provided as part of your uniform for when you were required to work in colder weather. "I think it best if you direct me to where I am required to go." You added, walking passed him and into the hallway.


	14. Chapter 14

The sound of the horses hooves clipping the cold ground outside the carriage were almost therapeutic, but your anger at the audacity of that servant caused you to not be able to settle for the journey; instead you simply watched as the Alfheim countryside go by, it was difficult to see in the darkness, but the occasional light here and there told you of the dwellings you were passing. It shocked you slightly that you were moving at a constant trot in the carriage for almost two hours. You were not great at directions, but you knew that your home had been east of the royal city, and if you were headed east, you were sure you would not be overly far from its location, but in truth, with three hundred and sixty degrees, what were the odds you would end up there.

The sound of the coachman bringing the horses to a halt caught your attention and you looked out the window of the carriage. You were near the small entrance that was no doubt for staff at a large manor. Relieved that the journey had finally ceased, you pulled your shawl up to your shoulders once more and went to open the door.

"I have that there lovey," A portly middle-aged elf with a kind face smiled as he got the door from the other side for you. "You just get in out of this cold. In that door there and you'll be in the kitchens." He pointed to the door that was ajar; a tall, stoic woman standing at them. "Beatrice there will look after ya."

"Thank you again, mister..."

"Danielson, Erik Danielson, and not a worry love, just glad to help, now in you get, I will get your few bits for you."

"You are too kind, thank you Mister Danielson." You smiled and walked to the doorway, towards the hard-faced woman.

"And you are?" She half demanded coldly.

"Oh give over Beatrice; this is Prince Loki's chambermaid." Erik scolded.

She gave you another look up and down. "Of course, when you want a job done right, you get a female elf to do it." She stated, opening the door fully. "Follow me." You followed her into the warm kitchens, removing your shawl when the heat hit you fully. "I apologise for my cold demeanour outside, but I run a tight ship for a very strict man, I cannot have any old elf coming in here, I hope you understand." She explained, her voice still cold, but somehow less harsh.

"Please, you do not need to apologise, it is late and the last thing any housekeeper wants is to have to stay up to receive elves they do not know." You smiled.

She seemed to give what you assumed for her was a smile. "You have no idea, my dear. I must confess, I am curious as to why you are with the Prince of Chaos."

"His hand servant had an emergency on Asgard, I came in his stead."

"An emergency?"

"His mother is ill, so he is taking time to care for her."

"And he is permitted to do so, without punishment?"

"Punish...Why would he be punished?" You asked, shocked and appalled at the idea.

"I...It matters not. And how does a Light Elf find herself on Asgard?"

"I was chosen for the palace, and from there I caught the attentions of Prince Loki, who requested me personally as his maid, a great honour."

"Well, of course, we are the best." She gave another minute smile.

"Speaking of my employer, I had best check if he requires anything of me, please could you show me the way to his rooms?"

"Of course, follow me." you followed the housekeeper through the most extravagantly designed building you had ever seen on Alfheim, and that included your recent staying at the palace. If you had to wager the cost of each hallway you walked through in Gold bullion, you would wager the least expensive of them was at least ten bars to design. It was sickening to think one family had accumulated such wealth in a realm where the likes of Mya had to be sold off for her family to afford her younger siblings.

"Here we are, if you require anything, you have the right to take what you need from the kitchens, bar the eggs and the milks, they are for my Master and him alone," Beatrice instructed as you came to an ornately designed door; you nodded your comprehension. "I bid you a goodnight; if you wish to have a breakfast cooked for His Highness, the kitchens are open day and night, you need only ask Sven to whip you up something."

"Thank you kindly." You smiled. "By chance, do you know if His Highness is inside or otherwise located at present?"

Beatrice pursed her lips. "To the best of my knowledge, the girls were distributed about an hour ago, so I dare say he is inside." She replied.

Before you could ask her what it was she was referring to, she turned on her heels and left, leaving you confused and awkwardly standing in the middle of a hallway. Not wanting to spend any longer there, you turned and knocked on the door twice before entering, something you were used to doing on Asgard, informing Loki of who it was when you entered. Worriedly, you looked into the room to see Loki sitting on a sofa. "Sir?"

Loki looked up, and for a brief moment, he seemed to be taking in your appearance before grinning widely. "You came." He declared loudly, his arms wide. You groaned internally, clearly, he had partaken in copious drinking once more. "I was scared you would not come." He leant forward, whispering loudly. "I know how this Lord Whatsit has all this money, he has more ladies of the night than I imagine the soldiers' barracks back home sees in a month, and that is just here. It is madness." His eyes widened at the last statement. "There was one in my room earlier, why are there always elf women trying to go to bed with me, are you the only one that does not? Is there something wrong with you?" He eyed you suspiciously.

You were irked by having to deal with a drunken Prince again, until that moment; you had been trying to take off his boots again, but his words were said in such a ridiculously high voice and with something akin to concern and fear, you could not help laughing to yourself. Biting your lips together, you snorted again as the words repeated in your head. "Perhaps there is." You smiled sadly.

"Why did you leave Alfheim?" He asked. You looked up at him, to see him looking down at you, his face curious.

"You mean other than my peculiarity?" You raised a brow and gave a half smile, which he responded to with a lopsided grin. "I did not have much of a choice."

Loki frowned, "How could you not have a choice?"

"Circumstances, I was not in a position to remain here." You shrugged, hoping that his current state would stop him from reading too far into it. "And that is not a bad thing, you would still have Freda if I had not."

"We were having a jestful conversation, and you had to go and make it all serious." He grinned, you could not help the small laugh you gave in return. "You can have fun, I was starting to believe you had no sense of fun, that would have been tragic."

"You are awfully dramatic when you have been drinking."

"You are not mad at me this time." You went stoic still once more. "I put my foot in it again." He realised.

"Lift your arms." You ordered your face stern.

Loki did as told, his focus on you. "I wish you would explain what it is that has you so angry with me."

"We had this discussion the last night, I am not angry at you." You lay the tunic on a chair to prevent it from creasing.

"You are angry at your father."

You froze, not looking at him, feeling his eyes on you. "Not angry, no; I am...I cannot explain it in words, not because I do not want to , but I cannot think of how to say it." You explained as you began to move again, placing his boots under the chair. "I thought you had forgotten that conversation."

"It is hard to forget when someone usually so calm shouts angrily at you, regardless of alcohol intake." He commented. "I just had to see if you would talk about it more, considering you did not wish to discuss it this morning." He explained, standing up and removing his pants himself.

You turned and looked him in the eye, noticing there was something different. Leaning in slightly, you inhaled through your nose, "You have not been drinking at all, have you?"

"No, I have not." He grinned slyly. "I learnt my lesson last night, and tonight, I used the illusion of being drunk as a method of extracting information from my hosts."

"It was a ruse." You realised. "Why?" You were somewhat hurt by his deceit.

"You do not speak of yourself, no matter how or what I ask, I got more honesty from you last night while I was inebriated than ever before." He explained, handing you his pants. "I would apologise, but I cannot, for then I am apologising for wanting to actually get to know you as a being."

"You could have just asked." You stated, not looking him in the eye.

"I have asked you on many an occasion, but you alter the topic. It seemed the only way."

"Why do even you care what my background is?"

"You are my chambermaid, you know the minutest details of my life, every aspect of it, I would like to think we could be on some bit of a level playing field."

"Because of course, I have ammunition on you, but not vice versa; because that is how you think, is it not?" You growled angrily, throwing his sleeping pants at him.

"Nothing of the sort, what would make you even think that?" he stared in disbelief at you.

"If I am not required for anything else, can I please go to my bed, I am exhausted." You asked, not looking him in the eye.

"Yes, of course." Loki's tone was a disheartened and saddened one. "I wish this had gone better." He added morosely.

You said no more, and left his rooms, feeling angered and somewhat betrayed.

Sleep that night only came to you due to the exhaustion you had accumulated from the night before. Dragging yourself out of bed early the next morn, you feared what the day would bring, but ever the diligent chamber maid, you trudged the steps to Loki's rooms.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing." You had been so busy trying to remember where to go and thinking about everything with Loki, you had not noticed if there was any other in the hallway, and jumped as you felt an arm wrap around your waist. "I do not recall you from last night, did Lord Henricus keep you to himself? If so, I cannot blame him, but now I would like a piece." The stench of stale ale from his breath made you want to wretch, but as you felt him pull you into his body, you felt a different, more fearful type of nausea.

"Let go of me." Your voice was more of a squeak as you tried to pry his arm from around you, but he was considerably stronger than you.

"Now, now, there is no need for that, I will ensure you get paid well for your services." You baulked as he licked the side of your neck.

It startled you when you realised he had frozen in place before leaving you go. Rushing forward a few steps, you turned and realised why he had ceased his less than welcome advances, and sighed in relief. Behind him, Loki stood, a dagger to his throat, and a look of rage in his eyes. "How dare you put a hand on my maid." He snarled viciously.

"I thought...she looks like a..." The man stuttered.

"If you dare to even finish that statement with the idea that my maid looks like a whore, I will press this blade all the way in." He threatened. It was only then you realised he had the blade pressed in enough to nick the skin, a small trickle of crimson beginning to make its way down his throat. Loki then looked to you. "Get your things, now."

You nodded and ran back to the room you had been given for your stay, grabbing the few items you had brought with you and throwing them unceremoniously into the case. When you double checked everything was in, you tied it shut and ran back to the hallway, where Loki was still standing, with no sign of the disgusting elf from before, his belongings being given to the butler, when he saw you, he indicated for your bag to be brought too before taking you gently by the arm and walking through the corridor. His long legs took far greater strides than you were capable of so staying in step with him was impossible. "Please..."

He looked down and realised the issue from your out of breath state and slowed considerably. "Did he hurt you, are you alright?"

"I am fine, shaken, but fine."

"Did he hurt you, though?" He scanned you for injuries.

"No, Sir."

"That is something. " He sighed. "We are going back to the palace, this instant."

"Good." You exhaled in relief.

"I knew there was something afoot, but I could not place a finger on it."

"Sir?"

"I shall explain later, but for now, you and I are taking the first available carriage out of here."

"Together?" You asked in shock.

"You were just assaulted by a perverted elf and your concern is sharing a carriage with me, I am a tad insulted, to be honest," Loki stated.

You huffed a small laugh as you continued to walk with him. "Prince Loki?" You both turned to see a man walking towards you, Loki groaned to himself, but you froze, terror filling you. "Leaving so soon?"

"I thank you for your great hospitality Lord Henricus, but I am after getting a message from my family, I am to make my way home post haste, there is an issue that requires my attention there with the greatest importance," Loki smiled politely.

"I am sorry to hear that, but of course, I am relieved it was not my hosting that is of concern. I…" The Lord noticed you, hiding behind the prince. He looked at you for a moment, before seemingly recognising you, then to Prince Loki. "A friend of yours?" he asked curiously.

"My chambermaid." He stated putting himself between you and the Lord. "You are acquainted?"

"Of sorts," the Lord stated, eyeing you again, you hid behind Loki more. "Has a carriage been called for you?"

"It has been indeed, I am to understand it will be here in a moment," Loki replied curtly.

"Very good, and the maid, what of her mode of transport, can I assist in any manner?"

You felt as though your heart was going to cease working in your chest, it did not take a genius to see the depraved look in his eyes and the meaning behind his words. "She is coming with me, I refuse to waste a carriage on one being."

"You would have a maid in a carriage with you? You surely are above such Your Highness, unless of course…" He gave a seemingly knowing look at the young prince.

"I note there is a difference between Alfheim and Asgard on this matter, she is my maid, nothing more," Loki stated firmly. The carriage came around the corner, and you could not be more relieved. "Again I must thank you for your wonderful hospitality, I wish you every bit of luck Lord Henricus."

"As I do you Prince Loki." The elf bowed, his eyes falling on you as he did.

"Get into the carriage lass," You looked at Erik, who you had not noticed was the driver of the coach. You noted the urgency in his voice and did as told. A moment later, Loki was next to you. "I'll get you where you need to go," Erik promised, closing the door behind you both.

As the carriage moved and the sound of horse's hooves against the ground filled it, you felt yourself begin to shake. You did not realise that you were whimpering, when a comforting arm held you close, you did not register it, all you registered was the soothing voice. "It is alright, I will not let them hurt you."

"I…"

"I know, I know." You looked at him in terror. "He is a slave trader, that is how he is so wealthy, he buys and sells female elves, as whores and as slaves, and you were one of the latter, am I right?" You looked at him with shame in your eyes. "Tell me everything."


	15. Chapter 15

You looked at him nervously. "Please, just tell me." You only bit your lip and said nothing. "Your father, he drinks, or did, you seemed to speak of him in the past tense the other night."

"I thought you did not recall anything."

"I lied," he shrugged.

"It is your speciality, is it not?" You retorted angrily.

"Did he sell you?"

"No, well yes and no."

"That makes little sense."

"He gambled everything we had." You felt Loki tense next to you. "He died, they came to reclaim his debt, it was substantial from what I can gather, I did not know, Lord Henricus was who he owed, so he…"

"He took you as payment too, but how did you come to be at the palace?"

"Adelaide, the head of staff, she bought me, Anna and Mya from a, I am not sure what it was, it seemed like a storehouse."

"Who?"

"Wilhelm's potential suitor and another girl, we came from Alfheim, from the same sale, together."

"And we bought you, my family actively bought slave girls?" There was a tone in his voice you could not place.

"Technically, yes."

"How do you not hate us? We took you from your home."

"I did at first, well, not hate, but I resented you all, Asgard as a whole, I wanted nothing to do with it, but I realise, now more than back then even, I am lucky to have been taken there. I could have easily ended up in a brothel."

"Does Wilhelm know?" You said nothing. "Of course, he does, he refused to tell me anything of you, claiming only you could tell me. Does the entire staff know about all of this, do my parents?"

"I do not know; Wilhelm and I were trying to find out."

"Why?"

"I just wanted to know."

"There is only one way to find out," Loki stated, looking out the window. "Where are we? This is not the way to the city." He looked worried.

You pulled yourself up a bit and banged on the roof twice "Mister Danielson, Erik?" The coachman pulled on the reins and brought the horses to a halt.

"You alright in there lovey?" He called.

"Where are we?"

"We are on the way to a little hiding spot," Erik stated coming to the door and opening it. "Lord Henricus is after having a little coup organised, your being here has made it a little awkward, but he is going ahead with it anyway. King Njall is safe, but you two are on a little list of beings to be dealt with but worry not lovey, I'll keep you both safe. But I must ask something in return." He looked at Loki for that part. "Safe passage off realm, for myself and my family, I am not asking to remain on Asgard, simply the ability to get away from all this, to go somewhere new, to be anonymous."

"If you are true to your word and keep us safe, you will be more than welcome to remain on Asgard for your bravery," Loki promised which the portly elf seemed to believe. "But the way you speak, you make it sound as though Alfheim will not be a safe place for you and yours after this is over."

"I have to ensure that my family are safe, regardless."

"I understand."

"I have had a cloak on us for a while, they should not find us, but if they do, run; and do not look for me, I will hold them as long as I can." The elf ordered.

"I have a few tricks of my own." Loki grinned slyly, "Let us be on our way again before they notice the error." Erik nodded, looking to you in Loki's arms, his brows raised. "She has had dealings with Lord Henricus before, and seeing him again has not done her good." The prince explained.

"There is many a girl that has suffered that." Erik looked at you sadly. "Don't worry lass; I will do what I can for you."

"Thank you." You whispered. Erik closed the door and got back on the coach, snapping the reins and getting the horses to move again. "I wish I was home."

"Is it near here?" You looked at Loki, "Your home."

"It's a realm away." Loki gave you a small smile. "The place I grew up, it should be within these forests, to the south."

"We seem to be heading there."

"I really hope not."

Loki gave you a sad look. "So, your father drank and gambled, what of your mother?"

"She died a long time ago."

"So you have no one?"

"I have Anna, Mya and Wilhelm, they are more family than I have ever known, they are what a family is I have read of in stories when I was young. They care for me, as I am."

"Wilhelm would be happy to hear that," Loki smiled.

"Are you sure you are not drunk still, you are being terribly nice." You half-joked.

"I truly I wish I was, this would not be so real were I to be, but alas, I am as sober as you. As for my demeanour, I think you deserving of such right now, anything else would be another act of cruelty upon the mountain that you have had to endure already." You said nothing at that, neither of you did, you simply sat looking out the window.

The carriage went close to where you had grown up, it went to the closest village, where you had had to go for market and for general reasons when you lived on the realm. It went through without stopping and went on into the countryside once more, the horse continuing to trot in a monotonous rhythm, which made it seem like a clock ticking, driving you mad.

Finally, the horses came to a halt outside an ordinary looking building, which gave no indication of being anything important, it seemed almost derelict, but Erik got off the coach and opened the door, indicating for you both to disembark. Loki gave you a look for a moment, clearly unsure if you should trust the other elf, but you pulled yourself straight and stood, leaving the carriage first; Loki following immediately after, not liking you going even a few steps ahead with no means to protect yourself. Erik walked to the front door and opened it, something that startled you both, and made Loki somewhat uneasy.

"In there with ye and you will be told everything you need to know." He smiled encouragingly.

Loki eyed him up for a moment, but any objection he had was silenced when a familiar face came into view from inside. "Prince Loki." Loki turned to see a shaken and bloodied King Njall standing in front him. "Had I but known."

"You could not have, do not think that you could have stopped it." Loki dismissed walking into the dwelling.

"I did not think, my closest friend and confident, a slave...so many youths...I have accepted gifts from him, blood money. No wonder I could not stomp it out, he was by my side, he knew my every move." There was a shaking in his voice with every word. He looked at you, "I failed your generation young one."

"You tried to stop it; that is not failure, failure would have been to do nothing at all to stop it. So many can still be saved, Your Majesty." You gave a small smile.

The King gave you a caring look. "We lost a good one in you going to Asgard."

"Perhaps, that is disputable." You responded, turning to Loki. "Is there anything I can get for you, Sir?"

"No, you need to rest after everything, take a small nap if you can." Loki gave you a kind smile. "I will call on you if I need you."

You nodded wearily and went into the other room crashing on a sofa as there was only one bed available, and that would have to be available for the prince. It was difficult to grasp what was happening, but you were so exhausted from it all, you could not fight sleep. Everything that happened replayed in your mind over and over and you groaned as over and over Loki assumed your past correctly. When you recalled the elf that grabbed you from behind in the hall, you began to cry out in your sleep, in the nightmare, Loki had not come to your aid. Just as your assailant was about to rip your dress from you, you tossed and crashed heavily against something. You opened your eyes wide and looked around.

"It is alright, I have you." Loki's face was close to yours, and you pulled back slightly, only to realise you were in his arms. "You were falling off the sofa; I thankfully came in time to catch you." He explained, seeing you look around in confusion. "Why did you not take the bed?"

"There are no other free places to sleep, you..."

"You left the bed for me?" You nodded. "You foolish little elf, you should have taken it for yourself, you need to rest." He carried you over and placed you on it. "I am fine, I have served in battle many a time without shelter, much less a bed, to me, it would conflict my mind. I need to be without the comforts of a dwelling to put my mind in the right place." He explained.

"And to think, you a prince." You smiled meekly. "Letting some foolish elf take your bed."

"I will tell none if you do not." He grinned. "Get some rest."

"Are you angry with me, Sir?" Loki frowned at you. "About how I...?"

"How is any of that your fault, I am only glad Asgard became a refuge for you and those who came with you."

"We could have been like those girls back..."

"Do not dwell on that now, they are now known of, meaning they can be helped soon, but for now, we must look after ourselves. Lord Henricus will want us out of the way, King Njall realising his source of income and our telling my father of his actions will mean he will spend the rest of his life living in a six by six cell in the bowels of our palace, he will do everything he can to prevent such."

"I have, to be honest, you are not filling me with much comfort for which to fall back asleep, Sir."

"Well, there is one difference between his army and that of King Njall's." You looked at him, waiting for him to explain what that difference was. "King Njall has my assistance." He grinned, leaving the room once more and allowing you to be alone with your thoughts. Sleep did not come easily to you again that night.


	16. Chapter 16

You felt as tired when you woke as you did when you had went to sleep. Relief filled you as you realised you were still safe, listening closely to the voices on the other side of the door.

"And what of their numbers?" You knew Loki's voice as soon as he spoke.

"That is the issue here," was the response. It took you a moment to remember it was King Njall. "They are not many, a few slave traders, and their paid followers, but the issue is, some of them are some of the best trained in my armies."

"That is a concern. We may need to call in reinforcements from my father's arsenal."

"Would he be willing to spare the resources?"

"If you request, yes." Loki assured him.

"Should you not explain it to him?"

"I fear he and I are not really on speaking terms at present."

"Could you not speak with your brother on the matter?"

"The issue is that he is the reason for said not speaking." Loki explained. "We should send a message to Heimdall, if he had not already called for the Allfather's attention to the matter, he will then."

"How do we send a message?" Njall asked, not wanting to ask what it was that the Trickster prince did to his brother.

"Remove our shields; for but a moment, and that will allow him to see what it is we are dealing with, he will have word sent to the Allfather immediately, and from there, he will do what needs to be done."

"But as soon as we do that, we are at risk of being in peril once more." Njall stated fearfully.

"I am aware, but it is the only way we can do this. We do not have the knowledge of their numbers, their influence or their abilities, we need assistance from those more formidable than they could ever wish to defeat. Heimdall will already be aware of these facts, we however, are in the dark about them, revealing ourselves is a risk we have to take so that we may get the assistance we require." Loki argued.

"What do you suggest?" King Njall accepted.

"We ready ourselves, and as soon as we are, we reveal ourselves and flee, letting Heimdall know where we intend to go, and then, we wait."

"The great God of Chaos, fleeing, like a frightened deer?" You heard another voice scoff. "How have you such a reputation in battle with such tactics?"

"It is because I have the intelligence to know when to take a step back and see things with a greater clarity of the overall picture that I have survived, and my enemies have all been slaughtered." Loki growled back. "If you think yourself better than I, then I will take my chambermaid, reveal myself to Heimdall, and take my leave, allowing you to deal with your infestation by yourselves." You did not have to be in the room to know that that idea did not go down well. "As I thought, so perhaps Johan, you should keep your ridiculous opinions to yourself unless otherwise requested."

"Then let us prepare." The king suggested.

You heard the telltale sounds of chairs being forced along wooden floors, telling you everyone was getting to their feet. Quietly, you moved away from the door and across the room; a moment later, Loki opened the door slightly and looked in. "As silent as you are, being a light little elf, I know you were eavesdropping."

"I know I should not have, sir, but with everything…" You began, but Loki raised his hand and silenced you.

"You do not have to explain yourself; you are involved in this by proxy. You have every right to know what is going on."

"Are we going on the move?"

"Yes, get what you require, and we will go, we cannot bring everything." He instructed.

"I understand."

Loki smiled at you. "Yes you have been so understanding. I apologise for bringing you into this, you are just a maid, this should not concern you." He thought for a second before scoffing to himself. "You have everything to do with this though, do you not? The realm you are from, the man that did…" his face contorted in anger. "That made your life so horrific."

"Actually, I think that accolade belongs to my father, not Lord Henricus."

"You have never had it easy, have you? When this is done, I think it best you decide what you wish to do with your life, if you rather stay here on Alfheim, then I will not stop you." Your eyes widened at his statement. "Until such time, I will endeavour to keep you safe, grab only what you need, and we will leave."

Bringing nothing, you rose to your feet to go with him, causing him to raise a brow and look at your bags. "There is only work attire in those bags, when we return to Asgard, I am sure I can be reissued others."

"You would return?"

"I have nothing here, no home, no family, and any employment I would seek would mean a severe pay decrease, I am best served there." You shrugged.

"You really do not hate me?"

"No, Sir."

"I worry for your mental state then."

You gave a small laugh. "As do I."

"Come, we had best make way; the sooner we go, the sooner we will have the assistance we require." You followed Loki without question through the door, seeing several men looking at you as you did.

Loki held you close to him to protect you from their inquiring looks. "We are leaving, now."

Njall rose to his feet. "Then let us move out."

"What is the meaning of this?" One of the other men demanded, causing everyone to jump and look around. "He has one of our country girls."

"She is his maid."

"Maid? The Aesir palace has Ljósálfar maids, since when?"

"At the present moment, what does it matter?"

"It matters greatly because we are trying to prevent our girls being used as whores and we have a case of it here in front of us."

You felt yourself fill with rage and fear simultaneously, the first because of the accusation you were nothing more than a pleasure maid, and the second, because Loki seemed to take it almost as badly as you did.

"How dare you accuse me of having to force a woman to lay with me." Loki shook in rage.

"Prince Loki, please, Lord Brutus is only concerned for the women of the realm, he just…"

"Accused me of having forced a woman to lay with me; that is what he did." Loki looked at Njall, the king trying to defuse the situation.

"We are all on tenterhooks, so why do we not try and deal with what we need to do, this can be dealt with at a later point." He suggested.

"I am not Prince Loki's whore, I am just a chambermaid; that is all." You stated at the Lord. "I am better paid than most every member of whatever staff you have and I would not alter my employment for the world. I have had no man attempt to force himself on me, and am safe in the knowledge that should one attempt such, Prince Loki would have them dealt with, immediately."

King Njall gave an approving nod and Loki smiled kindly at you before turning to Brutus again. "Now that that is settled, shall we get on with not being slaughtered?"

"That sounds favourable to me." The king agreed, "Come."

Brutus glared at you both for another moment before following his king outside. "Are you alright lass?" Erik asked you as you as you walked passed.

"Yes, I am just ready to get back to Asgard."

"I bet." He gave a caring smile. "Let's hope this goes to plan then."

"How will we be fleeing?"

"Never you mind lass, just follow Prince Loki's orders, he'll keep you safe."

Nodding, you went over to the prince and stood beside him. "If there is any issue, I will grab you and transport us, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Let us hope this works." King Njall prayed aloud beside you.

You watched as Loki, King Njall, a few of his Lords and Erik all undid their spells and Loki relayed what was required from Heimdall. The sky above them clouded over, as you assumed it was supposed to, but Loki grabbed you. "Run." He bellowed. You did not have a moment to react, all at once, it seemed as though there were a hundred Ljósálfar in the clearing surrounding the house, but you did not have time to take stock, for all of a sudden, as an armed elf came toward you and Loki, his blade drawn, you felt as though you were fizzling away, before you grabbed into Loki's overcoat and shut your eyes. "It is alright, you can let go now." He stated kindly. Not entirely sure you could trust what he was saying, you peeked one eye open, then the other. You were in a clearing, dark and quiet. "They will not find us here."

"What of the others?"

"They know where to go if they make it."

"And if they do not?"

"There is nothing we can do, we are substantially outnumbered until help arrives."

You looked around again, knowing what he was saying was true, even if you did not like it. It was then you realised something, you knew this area well. Looking around again, you noted a rock you used come and sit by as a child, shaded from the bright midday sun by a weeping willow tree, turning again you noticed the old badger's den, protected by two rocks that had fallen on each other.

"You know this place?" Loki seemed to notice your recognition.

You nodded. "I lived only a few moments from here, through the trees there."

"That is where we are supposed to meet the others." Loki informed you. Your stomach felt heavier than a tonne boulder. "There is a house there, with old outhouses."

"I do not…"

"Henricus gave it to another Lord, not knowing him to be guarding Njall."

"Do we have to go there?"

"I am afraid so, yes. I am sorry."

"It is not your doing." You sighed, walking forward. You knew the meandering way through the trees as well as you knew your own hand. It was overgrown, since none had travelled its path since your leaving, but it still was clear to you, having walked it a thousand times. As you came into the small clearing that housed your former home, you gulped loudly, and walked forward.

It did not look overly different from the night you had been taken, kicking and screaming from your bed; in fact, it seemed well cared for, tidy even. "We are to go inside, they will not think of this place."

"Why?" You frowned, but Loki did not reply. He pushed open the door, and walked in, the hallway was in darkness, but you knew the route to take, walking passed him, you made your way to what was the living area; there was a peculiar smell, like when your father drank, only stronger, and flicking on the light your eyes widened. It was a bar, no wonder it reminded you of your father. "What the…?" You looked at Loki, only to realise he was giving you a look of greatest sympathy. "What happened?"

"Lord Henricus, he turned this into a…" There was no need for Loki to say anymore, you knew exactly what he was trying, but unable to say. "I am very sorry."

Your jaw clenched for hard, it ached, but you refused to let yourself weep. "Let us just get home as soon as is possible." You forced out.

"As I stated already, I will endeavour to do so." Loki swore.

There was a loud noise from outside, one that scared you immensely. "What…?"

"Thunder."

"We do not get that on Alfheim."

"You do when Thor comes to the realm." Loki grimaced.

"You do not seem overly happy about that."

"Do you recall the time you assisted me with the feathers?"

"Yes." You elongated the word, not sure where he was going with his statement.

"Well, the end result, I imagine, is as desired, going by what my mother sent me."

"What did you concoct?" You asked, fearful of the reply.

"Well…"

"Loki!" Thor's voice erupted through the house.

"A little louder there brother, there may have been a tree sprite on the Eastern border that only heard you as a roar." Loki stated plainly, though, you knew he demeanour enough to know he was somewhat concerned.

"There is no hiding brother."

"We are standing in the bar, hardly as though we are lurking in corners."

The sound of heavy boots from the older prince thudded through the house, taking a step back, you were uncertain of what was about to greet you. You expected an infuriated large brute of a warrior, not a blonde woman, tall and beautiful, her face marred in rage.

"I have to commend you Thor, you are a very beautiful woman."

You stared from the gorgeous woman to Loki in shock.

"You shall pay dearly for this brother, father has sworn it." Though the woman was clearly very feminine, her voice was that of the older Aesir prince.

"I think it worth it to be honest." Loki chuckled, looking at Thor in glee.


	17. Chapter 17

"This is no laughing matter." Thor bellowed indignantly.

"You have been in this form for over a week, calm yourself before you declare to the whole of Alfheim where we are and have our enemies descend on us in moments. Would you like to die with breasts?" Loki asked calmly, Thor glared back at him. "And I happen to think it hilarious."

"I should destroy you here and now."

"But you cannot." She-Thor looked down at you angrily. "Only the brewer of the potion can reverse it, so if you destroy Prince Loki, you destroy your chances of ruling Asgard as the Allfather, and will have to accept your new role as the wife of him."

That set Loki into hysterics, leaning against the wall to remain upright. He had not thought of that, he had simply thought to make Thor and his moronic followers suffer for a few days, nothing more, but it was true, if he did not brew the remedy, there would be none.

Thor looked at you in terror, then to Loki, realising the truth in your words. "What, what do we need to do?"

"We need to get rid of those who are trying to usurp the throne," Loki stated.

"What of the potion?"

"I can brew that when we are done, I have everything ready to hand at home."

"You better," Thor growled through gritted teeth before looking around in revulsion. "What sort of hovel is this place?"

"My birthplace." You retorted in annoyance.

Thor frowned at you. "You were born in a brothel?" The manner in which he/she looked at you with disgust caused you to simultaneously fill with rage and sadness.

"No you moron, this is only a brothel with as long as she is gone from it." Loki snapped angrily, seeing how Thor's manner was upsetting you. "I thought females are supposed to be, by the nature of their gender, more sensitive to the feelings of others, hence my choosing to alter you into one, yet you seem as oblivious as ever to the manner in which you are upsetting others." Thor frowned again, not fully comprehending what it was that Loki was saying. "I actually give up, congratulations Thor; you have caused me to become so frustrated, I resign from trying to ever teach you anything of the realms around you."

"You did this to teach me a lesson? Why, what did I…?" The disbelieving look from Loki told him to silence himself, he looked at you again, shocked to see that though your face showed no sign of emotion, your eyes told him that you thought him deserving of his predicament, such was your contempt. "Where are the others?"

"On their way, we were separated due to an attack in telling you where we were."

"Are they all loyal?"

"To the death."

"Can you be sure Loki?"

"Can anyone ever truly be? They are loyal, but if it may spare them the sword, I cannot guarantee they will not talk, imminent death causes a trigger in the survival instinct; and suddenly. Loyalty is not as great a concern as it was before."

"That is what concerns me," Thor admitted. "Are we safe here?"

"Only time will tell."

"I do not have your patience Loki, you know this well."

"Yes, I do; and that is the concern here. Clearly, your new feminine appearance does not translate into adjusting internally to one." Thor growled at his brother's comments and went to another part of the house.

"How feminine is feminine?" You asked, eyeing where Thor had just gone.

"I do not follow."

"Well, is Thor a woman only in appearance, or can he…?"

"Can he what?"

"Bear child?"

There was a muffled noise from where Thor had gone, telling them the other prince could hear them, followed by him quickly returning, staring fearfully at Loki, wanting to know the answer.

Loki tried, and failed, to school a straight face onto himself, but failed miserably; instead, he gave a wicked grin. "Thor is as much a woman as you are, bar his voice as you have gathered, so if you can bear child…"

"Loki, I will kill you for this," Thor promised.

"Not if I kill you first." Loki threatened in return. "I do not care if you are a woman now, I will defend myself from you."

"Loki…"

"This is not the time," Loki warned. Angered and frustrated, Thor stormed out of the room once more. Listening to Thor's footfalls for a few moments before they went out of range, Loki beckoned for you to come over to him. "For the record, should I not survive this, I need you to do something for me."

"If it is a case that you do not survive, there is little chance for me, Sir."

"But should I not, this is what you are required to do." Leaning in, he started relaying instructions to your ear, leaving you wide-eyed at the revelations he was bestowing on you.

Three of Njall's loyal lords were killed by Henricus and his followers, much to the Ljósálfar king's dismay, but overall, they were lucky. When the elves saw what had become of Prince Thor, they eyed Loki; horrified that he had not only done such a thing to his brother; but that he had the knowledge and skill to execute it perfectly. After insurances that his temporary alteration would not hinder him in any manner, it was arranged that they would meet Asgard's armies at a prearranged area and take on the rebels. So they agreed to wait until nightfall once more before making their way once more.

Sitting in the kitchen area, you looked around, lost in your own mind, thinking of your life before everything with your going to Asgard; the kitchen was similar to when you lived there, as though trying to force you to remember the life you had had before, even if you would rather not. You moved without thought, up the stairwell and to the bed area. It had always been a fair sized house, four bedrooms, two of which never were used since the day you were born, but they had clearly been used since your leaving, and at one doorway, you stared in, the door was open, something that was never permitted while you lived there. On occasion, you would go in there, fully aware of what occurred there when you were a near decade old. Walking in, you looked around, your breath catching in your throat as you did. It was the same bed, the same one that had been there when you were a child, only it was being used once more, and the smell from the room was similar to the one in the room you had at the palace when you had to clean it that first night after Freda had been tossed out, telling you what had been happening there. A tight sob escaped you as you tried to take in what you were seeing.

"Hey." You turned to see Loki looking at you in concern. "What is it?"

You took a deep breath, trying to compose yourself again, thankful you weren't crying. "Nothing, it is not important."

"I think you are downplaying the truth."

"With all due respect sir, why would you care?"

"Because it matters to you."

"And why would such concern you?" Loki frowned. "I am not of any importance to you Sir, so I cannot fathom as to why you would concern yourself with me."

"I am curious to know why you think you are of no importance to me; I can only assume it is due to a sense of unimportance in general, which; of course, if you are to have the upbringing you have had, I can comprehend somewhat, but you seem to have figured out a great deal about me in your time in employment with me, surely the norm is for that to be a two-way situation?"

"In a friendship, I would agree, but I am a mere maid, and you are a Prince, so it is not the same."

"I have a close friendship with Wilhelm," Loki argued.

"Is that what you wish to have with me too, sir?"

"I think so, yes. You have been loyal to me, and would like to think after all of this, you and I could at least be somewhat more acquainted."

You eyed the prince suspiciously, not entirely sure if he was being serious. "This was the room my mother birthed my sibling in." You explained.

"And the one she…" You nodded. Loki looked around; it was clear what the room had been used for since your being gone. "I am sorry."

"That is the bed…" you swallowed.

You were shocked to feel the taller prince put his arm around you. "I think it best you do not think too greatly on that." His voice was soothing. "You should leave." Nodding, you turned and obeyed. Loki closed the door after you both. "Nothing can take away what you now know to have happened in there, but you cannot dwell on it, instead, think of any good memories you have of this place."

"That is simple, none."

"Was your father really so cold?"

"He loved my mother more than words, when she died, he did not take it well, after that, he never showed any form of love or caring."

"I am sorry you endured such."

"It was not your doing."

"No, but I still can be sorry for you." You gave him a small smile; he returned the gesture for a moment before stilling. "We need to leave. Thor!"

"They will be here in but two minutes." The other prince's voice responded. "The armies are not ready yet."

"That is not ideal, but we cannot remain regardless." Loki took your arm, "let's go."

"Gladly." You followed immediately after him down the stairwell, happy to be leaving your once home.

Those of King Njall's court that were in the house too all were by the door, looking around fearfully. "How do they know where we are?"

"They must have captured one of those that we thought were dead and gotten them to talk," Thor suggested.

A small movement to your left caught your eye, looking there; you noted that one of Njall's lords, Johan if your memory was correct, was spinning a small dagger in his hand, his eyes focusing from one of the Aesir royals to the other. Frowning slightly, you used your hair to create a veil so you could spy him without him being able to notice he had caught your attention. "Sir?"

"Remain calm; we have to let Heimdall know we are being forced on the move." Loki soothed.

"Sir, Johan." You whispered, barely above a breath, hoping the prince could grasp what you were implying.

Loki's brow furrowed slightly; before his eyes widened. "We have a traitor in our mists." He declared for all to hear. Thor and Njall turned to look at him. "Johan is why they are here."

"What?" The lord looked around, feigning ignorance.

"My maid saw the blade in your hand and alerted me to your thoughts, do not deny it." Loki used his seidr to force the Lord to remain stoic still. "You have five seconds to redeem yourself."

Johan glared straight at you, "Treacherous little bitch, selling out your own for a royal brats cock, even if he breeds you, he will never be able to keep you." He snarled.

Somewhat taken back with what the lord had stated, you stared as Loki slit his throat. "Anyone else here have anything to confess?" No one said anything. "Right then, looks like the battle is to be had here." He pointed to the sky, and a moment later, the powerful beams of the Bifrost exploded onto the ground around you, just as your enemies came into view.


	18. Chapter 18

"Why is she even here?" The booming voice broke through the shocked state you had ended up in.

"Odin, calm yourself, she is already terrified to within an inch of her very life." His wife chastised.

"She should not even have been brought back here, she is not of this realm, bring her to the Bifrost and put her back."

"My King, please, this elf in is no fit state to go anywhere, she is in severe shock." Eir beseeched calmly.

"Shock? I thought she was in some manner physically injured, what reason has she to be shocked?"

"Odin, she has just witnessed a battle," Frigga stated in exasperation.

"And? What of it, she was not even involved, merely watching from the sidelines."

"She was in the heart of it, and she is not a warrior, she is a chambermaid for Valhalla's sake, bar her monthly's, I doubt the poor girl has seen blood in her life."

Somewhat uncomfortable at his wife's mentioning of female issues, Odin silenced for a moment. "She will have to return when she is recovered then." He declared finally.

"No." The monarchs turned and stared at you, sitting up in the bed. "Please, I beg you; do not send me back there."

"You were not brought to this realm by legitimate means; I will not allow my house be associated with such actions, especially for that miscreant son of mine."

"Prince Loki has never been anything short of a good employer to me, please Allfather, please reconsider." You begged.

"There is nothing to reconsider; I am not having illegal workers in my palace, how you even came to be here in the first place…"

"We came via the Bifrost." You interrupted.

The king looked at you in shock for a moment at your interrupting him. "Excuse me?"

"The Bifrost, we had to walk across the bridge, passed your guardian there." You reiterated in greater detail. "Are you stating that there are going-ons at the bridge that the Allfather is not aware of?" You questioned. The Allfather eyed you carefully with his one good eye. "I truly do wish to stay Allfather, and if you were to ask the other maids, I would wager they feel similar. The palace is by far one of the greatest employers any of us could ask for."

"There are no treaties in place."

"With all due respect Your Majesty, after what Asgard has done for Alfheim, I doubt King Njall is in much of a position to say no to you." You ventured.

The old king eyed you carefully. "What hold has he on you?"

"Your Majesty?"

"Loki, what does he know, or what has he done to make you say you wish to remain?" He demanded.

An anger rose within you at the King's words. "Nothing."

"None would willingly work for him." He argued.

"None bar me it would seem." You sat as tall as you could with your small size.

"Is forcing you to do certain things for him?"

"Odin!" Frigga stared at her husband in horror.

"Can you think of another reason for her loyalty?" Odin demanded.

"You are accusing our son of raping his maid!" The queen snarled in return.

"He turned his brother into a woman; he is capable of most anything."

"He was reacting to your actions." Frigga retorted. You sat there, awkwardly staring at the wall, not knowing what to do as the Allmother and Allfather argued. "I told you, I warned you that not letting them battle would have an adverse reaction."

"He should have manned up and gotten over it."

"Like you did when you were young."

"What are you on about?" Though his tone showed the king knew exactly what his wife was referencing.

"You know well what I mean Odin; you are creating a hatred and resentment between our children, and are somewhat shocked when the one you discriminate against is retaliating." Frigga squared up to her husband. "The blind can see, yet you choose to ignore it."

"How did this go from a maid to this?" Odin asked shaking his head; clearly not able to argue his wife's point.

"Because you accused our son of molesting her." Frigga snapped.

"Loki has to be punished for what he has done to Thor, and indeed the warriors."

"And taking away his maid will do that?"

"A maid is a maid."

"You have never fired a single one of your maids."

"That has nothing to do with this."

"You wish to cast out an above par maid for no other reason than you are mad at your son. Loki is finally satisfied with his staff, and you want to upset that applecart once more."

"He has no need for a maid at present, he is being punished."

"Then let the poor girl have a few days to herself to regroup after her ordeal, when Loki has learnt his lesson, then let her return to work. She has earned a rest."

"Anyone in his close proximity has earned…" The king ceased his sentence and looked at you suspiciously. Fearfully, you watched as he walked over to you and glared down at you, causing you to cower slightly. "Were you aware of what my son had schemed?"

"Your Majesty?"

"You are his chambermaid, you and that hand servant of his, it is your duties to tend to him and to look after everything and everything he requires of you, meaning you would have witnessed him concoct the potion that ruined Thor." the king stated, glaring at you.

"Allfather, on Alfheim, women do not learn potions. Yes, I saw Loki concoct many potions, but to ask me as to their purpose, I can not say, my gender's education would never allow me to know what it was his brews were." You stated; your tone flat.

"It is true Odin, only male elves study potions, you know this," Frigga stated calmly.

Odin grunted, before nodding slightly. "As for the cure."

"But Your Majesty, there already is one."

The king swung around to face you again. "You stated you knew nothing of potions."

"Before Prince Loki left for Alfheim, I noticed him brewing another potion and putting the contents of which into a vial and placing it in his store for safe keeping, on Alfheim, when I bore witness to Prince Thor's… predicament, Prince Loki informed me, that should he not survive, I was to retrieve the potion for Prince Thor and his allies."

"Then get it you silly girl!" the king bellowed, causing you to flinch violently.

"Odin!" Frigga snapped. "Control yourself."

"She has been sitting here as though nothing is wrong, and she can cure Thor."

"Thor is not ill, he is merely a woman, I can assure you, femininity is not an illness, and if it is, it clearly is not life threatening," Frigga argued. "As for her 'sitting here', she is recovering, and she can inform us of its whereabouts."

"I fear I cannot Allmother." You sighed, "For only Prince Loki can open his stores when he is alive, he has made it that even you cannot open them so long as he breathes."

"So, if he knew he could die, why would he put it there?" She asked you calmly.

"Were he to have perished, I was to be able to open them, but if he were to survive, he knew he would need it."

"As what?"

You looked her dead in the eye as you answered. "A bargaining token."

"WHAT!"

You turned to face the livid Allfather. "He knew he would be punished for what he did to Prince Thor, but he also knew the punishment would surpass the crime, so to lessen the severity, he would retrieve the potion."

"And what else?" The king asked.

"He also knew that were I to relay the information to you, I could bargain my case to remain here."

"That conniving little…" Odin ceased when he saw the look on his wife's face, daring him to continue. "Fine, I will send a guard to retrieve him." the king turned to the guard standing at the door and gave him a small nod, immediately, the guard turned and went to get the prince.

"And her right to remain?" Frigga asked.

The king looked at you, and though you were terrified as to what he would say, you kept your face blank as he eyed you. "Since you did everything instructed of you, though some of it may not be a recommended course of action, and since even my maids sing your praises, I can speak with King Njall on the matter."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"If, however, the Ljósálfar king demands it, I will have to allow your deportment back to Alfheim; as stated previously, there are no agreements in place regarding the matter of elves working here for anything other than trading."

"Of course, your Majesty."

"You should be in a cell for withholding your information on Thor." He growled.

"If I am returned to Alfheim, I would suffer far worse." You replied. The king looked at you in concern. "I am not qualified in anything, and I come from nothing. I would have nothing in the line of a reference, and as such, would have to sell myself as a means to get by."

"Is Alfheim truly so cruel?"

"Your own realm is something similar Allfather; if you were to only look, you would see."

Odin left the room without saying another word. "I fear you have altered my husband's view in of the realms more in one conversation than it has been in millennia." Frigga stated.

"Does that earn me any points in being allowed stay?"

The Queen chuckled "Truthfully, I do not know. You are awfully eager to stay."

"I am more eager to not leave than to stay. Prince Loki is a challenging man to some, myself included, but I am not naïve, I am well aware it is far worse out there, and I am grateful for what I have here."

"I am glad to hear it. How are you feeling?"

"Tired, and scared, I am not sure if I will sleep well for some time."

"Blood and battle are difficult to process for some."

"I did not think it would be so gruesome, or at least, that I would not have to bear witness to it."

"You did not need that little one, but at least you survived."

"Can I return to Prince Loki now, your Majesty, I rather just get back to work." You asked; eager to get out of the hospital wing.

"I fear Loki will not require any assistance for some time, he is not permitted to leave his chambers until my husband and I decide otherwise."

"But what of his needs?"

"I will have my maid leave him one meal a day."

"That is harsh."

"He turned the Crowned Prince and some of Asgard's greatest warriors into the opposite gender, he requires punishment."

"You were not so condemning with the Allfather present."

"Because, in his presence, I have to fight my son's corner, but as the mother of them both, I am obliged to think of my other son also."

"Well then, can I please return to my room and get some rest there?" You asked.

"As soon as Eir permits so." The queen looked to the healer, who came over and began inspecting you.

"You need a lot of rest for a few days. Have Wilhelm come to me with regards your caretaking, I am sure he will be so guilt ridden from having supposed to be the one to go with the prince that you can have him disturbing the chefs at all hours of the night to get you something to eat, should you request it." The healer smiled.

"How is his mother? Is she alright?"

Eir smiled. "I cannot disclose another patient's private details, but I can confirm that she is well again."

"Thank goodness."

"There is great kindness in you; you are a much-needed addition in Prince Loki's life." Frigga smiled.

"He only did it because they will not stop mocking him; he wanted them to see that speaking so ill of others would someday catch up to them. They mock him, saying that he is no better than a woman, now they see, that being like us, it is not a terrible thing, that we are so much stronger than they credit us with." You explained.

"And Sif?" Frigga asked.

"She thinks herself a man's equal, though why I do not know, for both genders are great in their own manner, now she is seeing that she is not like one, but not in a bad way. He truly did it only to teach them a lesson; it was never to be permanent."

"I see, well; hopefully, it is a lesson learned." The queen rose to her feet. "When you are done, please do as requested and rest."

"Yes, your Majesty." You smiled, hoping you would be able to sleep in your own bed again soon.


	19. Chapter 19

"Sit!"

"I am not a hound Wilhelm!"

"No, you are not, the hound would know better than to try and get up." He retorted in frustration. "Seriously Girlie, if I have to tie you to the bed, I will."

"That's not somewhat inappropriate." You scoffed back. Wilhelm gave you a glare causing you to put your hands up. "I am not attempting to move, am I?"

"Good; and it is not inappropriate, for I would never see you in such a light, I am sorry to tell you."

"Well, I am not particularly sorry to hear that." you threw a mandarin piece at him, causing him to give you a bemused look. "How is Anna, by the way?"

"She is good; she met my family two days ago." You froze and stared at him. "What?"

"Anna has met your family, Norn's, talk about breakneck speed." You jested. "Did they like her?"

"They adored her, even after a few comments about how she is something a little different, you know?"

"Because, of course, a brother is not a brother if he does not make you feel awkward." You nodded.

"Are you sure you have no siblings?"

"I sadly am getting used to the sensation of having one because of you." You grinned.

"I take that as a compliment."

"How is Prince Loki?"

Wilhelm's fell slightly. "Angered and annoyed."

"It was a simple joke, nothing more, and he saved the King of Alfheim." You argued.

"You and I know that, but when it comes to Loki, the Allfather can go a tad overboard, especially with Prince Thor involved."

"That is utterly unfair."

"I know, but what can we do?"

"Have you seen him?"

"Yes, once a day I have to go check on him."

"For what purpose?"

"To check to see if he is alright, but overall, I think just so I can report to the Allmother."

"Has she not seen him?"

"She is banned from such."

"Norn's!"

"The Allfather does not take well to being held to ransom, especially by his son."

"I can well imagine."

"Thor is frantic for a cure."

"I hope it happens after his first bleeding." Wilhelm laughed at your remark. "What, I happen to take comments about women being weak very personally."

"As a woman, I would imagine so." Wilhelm nodded. "But it is cruel."

"So is every comment he makes about Loki."

"You are getting very defensive Girlie." Wilhelm jested. "Have you realised the prince is not the slave owner you once thought him to be?"

"He saved my life Wilhelm; he actually killed a man to save my life. No one has ever gone so far to take care of me, not even the man who was supposed to be my father."

"You are incredibly loyal; Loki appreciates those sorts of traits."

"Where is Erik?"

"Who?"

"Erik, the man who helped us."

"The peasant elf?"

You gave him a scathing look. "I am a peasant elf."

"Settle yourself Girlie, you know well what I mean by that, you know I mean nothing about peasant elves; unless you think I am harbouring some notion that I am something special, after all, last I checked, I'm a peasant too, any that work here are peasants."

"Well, you know Rebekkah, she is of the opinion she is something."

"She is the daughter of a whore," you gave him a peculiar look. "No, an actual, all-out, whore, as in, her mother traded sex for money."

"Well, it explains her and Freda's actions, she knows no better."

"Not really, they seldom did it for money."

"Why did they do it so?"

"To get ahead I think."

"That's working well for them." You scoffed.

"Clearly."

"So Erik, is he around?"

"I am not sure if we are speaking of the same elf, but the older, more rotund peasant elf that came with the group has been reunited with his family, and is now working for General Tyr as his coachman."

"Good, he deserves it."

"You are a soft little thing behind all that attitude." Wilhelm jested; you gave him a glare in return.

"GIVE US THE CURE LOKI!" Thor's voice bellowed through the palace.

"It is not a cure, it is a potion. As I am sure mother has stated previously; being a woman is not an illness."

"Do not get smart Loki," Odin growled. "The whole realm is laughing at the fact the future king is a woman, as are some of our best warrior's, that is utterly unacceptable."

"As is this over reaction it must be said. It would already be done if I had been let out." Loki shrugged. I can retrieve it when I am left out."

"This is nothing but blackmail!" Thor snapped.

"No, it is basic common sense you imbecile. I am incapable of opening something I cannot physically touch, how can I open my cabinet if I am here?" He challenged. Thor scowled back at him, "No, enlighten me, sister," there was a wicked grin on his face as he stated that word, "How is it possible?"

Thor flinched at the word sister, but he could not answer.

"Fine, you will return to your rooms and relinquish the potion required, and there you shall stay until you show remorse," Odin ordered.

"So, forever then?" Loki looked at him with a raised brow. "Dare I ask is Thor going to have to apologise for his words against me, and indeed every woman he disgraced himself by belittling?"

"He has learnt his lesson," Odin argued. Thor stared at him in disgust. "If you say anything to the contrary Thor, I dare say you will suffer this form for longer."

"But I…"

"But nothing, you think yourself a big man for dismissing the fairer sex, but you have had to live their life, dare I ask, how is it to bleed?" Loki taunted.

"What!" Loki chuckled at the fearful look on Thor's face. "That is not true."

Odin stared at his older son turned daughter. "I fear it is as true as you and I are standing here." Thor shook in fear at that comment. "You altered him that greatly?" He looked at Loki, unable to hide his intrigue and begrudging respect at the power and knowledge the younger prince possessed.

"Put him with a man and before this day next year, he will have birthed an heir."

"Loki, I will kill you." Thor snarled with tears in his eyes.

"You are not exactly making me wish to assist you with threats like that Thor."

"Loki, do not taunt him so." Odin chastised.

"Perhaps we should leave him a day longer; he will see how true it is that women bleed then, he seems somewhat irrational right now." Loki grinned.

"Loki!" Odin growled.

Loki sighed. "Fine, release me so I can give him the antidote before he turns into a weeping mess that requires pastries to console him."

Odin tapped Gungnir against the floor once and the golden wall came down. Loki walked out of the cell and looked at Thor again, before chuckling and walking towards his rooms. "I will make it so you are forced to remain within your rooms until I decide otherwise." He declared.

"Well then, I had best hope you do not fall into Odinsleep in the duration of that time then, oughtn't I? Loki walked by them and headed for the door. "By the way, why are prisoners served nicer desserts than we get at a banquet, I would commit murder if I thought I would get more of that pudding."

Odin, who had been walking behind his younger son, ceased walking and stared open mouthed. "That is a highly concerning comment."

"Well then, have it put on the dining hall's menu then," Loki stated as though it obvious.

"Sir?"

"You look more rested." Loki grinned on seeing you.

"I am, I just needed to…thank you, for everything." You smiled weakly.

"I am glad I was able to assist you." Loki smiled, "and thank you for revealing to us the traitor."

"Well, with all due respect Sir, I would not have been able to survive if you had been slaughtered in a coup."

Loki chuckled. "Fair point."

"Can I get you anything, Sir?"

"I am fine at present, but I will require more books later. Although, I suppose you had better remove my potions materials right now. I am supposed to be without them for the foreseeable future." His voice became tight at those words.

You thought for a moment. "Is the Allfather collecting them, Sir?"

"No, they are to be brought to him, I will have to have Wilhelm do it in a while."

"So, His Majesty is not going to inspect your quarters for them?"

Loki eyed you carefully. "No, he would not do something as tedious as that. Why, what are you thinking?"

"I can go to the market and get some replacements."

"I have too much I am brewing at present, you cannot transfer them through that process, you know that; and the new ones would look too new, it would not work, they must be used." He sighed in annoyance.

"Except I saw a place in the market, it sells such items previously owned." You smiled.

"You are a conniving little elfin genius." Loki laughed, before sobering again. "I cannot as such a thing of you however, it would not be fair, you could get in trouble should you get caught."

"Would I get fired?"

"Of course not, I would insist you did so only because I demanded it of you." Loki shook his head.

"Then give me two hours, I will have it ready for you by such time."

"Here." Loki walked over to his table, taking out something and throwing it to you. Catching it haphazardly, you looked at it, frowning at its design. It was some form of pendant. "Use it to trade."

"Most people just use coins, Sir." You shook your head.

"Most princes do not carry such." He countered. "You do not need to do this."

"No, but I would not offer if I did not wish to, Sir." You took the pendant and headed to your room to get a shawl and a satchel to leave the castle.

On the stairwell, you were unsurprised to see Rebekkah again. "What are you looking at?" She snapped.

"An apparition I would assume, seeing as you are not supposed to be here."

"Why could you not have died on that pathetic realm of yours?"

"Why could you not go take a running jump head first off the Bifrost?" you countered, causing her to stop and stare at you. "Sorry, did that hurt your little feelings? Doubt it, I bet you have none."

"When I am made the head of housekeeping, I will ensure you are the first to be put out on your ass."

"You will have to override a prince, good luck with that."

"He will have tired of you in bed by then and be glad of the excuse." She grinned snidely.

"I understand this is a foreign concept for you Rebekkah, so, please try to keep up; I do not sleep with my employers, or any man I would not consider to be a partner, so; like now, Prince Loki is not going to have had himself up my dress skirt." You shrugged. "You, on the other hand, sleep with anything with a pulse, so by the time Prince Thor takes the throne, you will be more used than the Bifrost at a royal wedding, and haggard, and unwanted, while I still potter around here happily for myself. You will still be spiteful, and I will still be me. Try not to let that little fact annoy you too greatly today, alright?" you smiled, walking past her as her face turned puce with anger.


	20. Chapter 20

You quickly acquired what was needed to sate the Allfather's demands from the market, choosing some of the higher quality products, knowing that the king would be under no illusion as to the quality his son would have. The pendant, though valuable in its own right, was not enough to cover the costs, though thankfully you had thought to bring your earnings with you, and they covered it.

Hurrying back to the palace, you brought your purchases to Loki's rooms, slightly surprised to see Wilhelm there, watching you with interest. "They are almost identical," Loki noted, looking at what you had gotten.

"That's the point, Sir, I could hardly get low-grade goods, he would not have bought it, he knows you would only have the highest of quality, anything else would have cast doubt."

"These cannot have been cheap." He looked at you.

You shook your head nonchalantly. "Do not fret it, sir, it has been dealt with."

Loki's eyes flickered from you to Wilhelm, who looked the prince in the eye back and gave the slightest shakes of his head. "Well, thank you."

"Should I bring them to the Allfather?"

"That is not necessary, Wilhelm will do that, you will have to retrieve my dinner, seeing as I am not permitted to leave these rooms."

"Of course, sir; have you any particular requests this evening?"

"Regarding the dinner, I am indifferent; regarding the dessert, however, see if my demand for pudding has been met and if it has; ensure there is an adequate portion of it."

Nodding slightly, you aided Wilhelm in packing up the potions materials, before going about the task you had been set. "I think what Loki means is all pudding, no dinner." Wilhelm smiled at you.

"I had gathered." You laughed in return.

"So what did all of that cost?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does if you owe some tradesman."

"I owe no one anything."

"So whatever Loki gave you was enough?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really." Wilhelm did not argue the topic any further since they were in a main hallway, which, though was not too busy, still had a few that could overhear them. "I cannot believe you thought of this."

"I thought it an obvious idea really."

"Well, kudos Girlie."

"I'll talk to you later."

"He bought it." Loki beamed as you cleaned up his lunch plates. "It worked."

"Of course he did, it was foolproof, Sir." You beamed.

"I wish to discuss the matter of the cost with you, however. I had Wilhelm go to where he suspected you had purchased those materials. That pendant was worth a substantial sum, and I was shocked to hear that it did not cover the cost, you paid the rest in coins, coins I can only assume came from your wages."

"Yes, sir." There was no point in lying to him.

"You dismissed me when I inquired as to the price paid."

"It was only a few coins over."

"I am a prince; you are a chambermaid, and one starting out at that. It is not fair that you fund something like that, considering you are the reason I have retained my potion materials."

"After saving my life, I think a few paltry coins mean nothing." You shrugged.

Loki threw a little velvet pouch her direction, it landed just in front of her. "I had Wilhelm find out the difference in cost, it is inside there. You may keep the bag also, it is, after all, for females, and after the ring fiasco, we know you own nothing of that sort."

"May I inquire, Sir, has there been any more on that since?"

"No, it would appear my mother's involvement is enough to ward off any attempts again." He gave a small smile; but you were not as convinced, which must have shown on your face. "Do you think there is reason to be concerned?"

"I am not sure, Sir."

"Well, if you do, please inform me." Giving a small nod, you returned to your duties. "Where is Wilhelm at present?" Loki looked around; "I have noticed he is here less and less of late during the afternoon unless specifically requested."

"I think it is safe to say he is probably with Anna." You smiled, Loki frowned. "Anna is one of the elves that I arrived here with, Sir. She and Wilhelm have gotten very close, so close in fact, that she has met his family and everything."

Loki's eyed widened. "His…well now, that is a development." You gave a small smile. "It would appear a few Light Elves around here seems to be a very good thing."

That caused you to frown, not understanding his meaning. "Sir?"

"Nothing." Loki dismissed, not looking up from the book he was reading. "I was hoping he could go to the nursery and acquire some of the creams and lotions required for the care of a young child; it will have to wait." He growled, annoyed at the thought.

"I have a friend that is a nanny there, I could go and see if you would like?" you offered.

Loki looked at you curiously. "Another elf?"

"Yes, Sir."

"The palace is apparently infested." He joked.

"I think that somewhat dramatic, Sir, I know only two others here, Wilhelm's Anna and Mya."

"Such unique names," Loki commented.

"We would have thought the same of here." You retorted with a smile, causing Loki to grin. "Shall I see what she can do for you?"

"Please."

"Dare I ask the reason for this, sir?"

"Not until you return, I do not wish for this poor elf to be caught up in my little schemes."

"Of course, sir; I will return shortly." You smiled, leaving the rooms and going towards the stairwell that led to different levels, trying to recall where it was that you had been told the nursery was located.

You collided with something hard as you turned a corner. "What in the Norn's?"

"Prince Thor, how good it is to see you again." You groaned, looking up at the once more male first born.

Thor grunted at you. "You could have dealt with that far sooner." He grumbled. "You are a Light Elf."

"With all due respect, your Highness, as stated previously, only male elves know such." You smiled sweetly, trying to hide your lie.

Thor grunted again. "Is he in his rooms?" you frowned, "My brother, is he is there?"

"Yes Your Highness, he is. Just as commanded."

"He deserves worse."

"So does any that speak down on another by the accident of birth, be it their gender or their standing." You retorted. Thor stared at you, shocked at your forwardness. "With all due respect, Your Highness, your somewhat inflated ego has been the reason for your humiliation in the past, do not allow it to be so again, for now Prince Loki knows how to truly make you suffer, and I can assure you, ask any female here, bleeding, especially the first ones, are the most painful and cruellest." You grinned as the older prince swallowed hard and his face blanched.

"I…"

"Do not be so cocky on seeing your brother, just some advice." You winked, before bowing and walking on.

Thor watched, somewhat frightened at your words before heading to Loki's rooms.

"Norn's what do you want?" Loki sighed dramatically when he realised who had entered his rooms.

"Your maid is far too brazen." Thor declared, crashing onto a sofa in Loki's room.

"What did she do to offend you so greatly first born of Odin? If it is truly brilliant, I may need to pay her better"

"She thought to give me advice."

"Please tell me she told you to jump off the side of the Bifrost," Loki asked hopefully. "And that you are considering taking said advice."

Thor gave his brother a bemused look. "You are hilarious."

"One of my many talents." The younger stated in a deadpan voice. "Why are you annoying my maid anyway?"

"I merely asked were you in your rooms and she went on about how I have an inflated ego and that women's issues are uncomfortable."

Loki chuckled and smiled at your words. "I have, to be honest, she is the greatest discovery, I am so grateful to the Norn's for the day I caught sight of her in the hallway." He declared before looking at Thor again. "Why are you even here Thor, I would have thought you would not have wanted to see sight nor sound of me for some time yet after my latest little trick."

"Father is demanding I take a bride." He folded his arms and pouted.

"This is so shocking, I would never have foretold such an infliction coming upon you." Every word Loki stated dripped of sarcasm. "Well you always like to remind everyone you are the first born if the king, this is the downside to your beloved throne Thor, did you not think of all that entailed?" The plain look in Thor's face told Loki exactly that. "If you had a functioning mind, Thor, you would truly be dangerous." He shook his head. "Just pray that we do not need to secure ties with any realms that are hideous." Thor's eyes widened. "I would take so much pleasure in you having to wed a Dwarf or a Jötunn!"

"Loki!" Thor sounded fearful.

Loki took pity on his idiotic brother. "Get searching Vanaheim post haste Thor, and look too to the noble women of Asgard, they are your best bets." He suggested. Nodding profusely, he rushed out again. "Idiot," Loki commented, waiting for your return.

"Guess who." You snuck up on Mya as she folded some linen.

"You cruel cruel demon!" Mya threw a pillowcase at you before hugging you tightly. "Hello stranger, I have missed you."

"And I you. How is all here in nursery related life?"

"Boring," sighed Mya, "There are no babies in this palace."

"Yes, because that would be wonderful, I would shudder at having to deal with Loki if he had a pregnant wife, I do not know who would be worse." Mya stared at you. "What?"

"You referred to His Highness by his first name."

"I see him all day every day, he told me to drop the title, I forgot. I am supposed to refer to him correctly outside of his rooms." You admitted.

"Yes, well, you should meet Anita, the head of this place, she is insane. I mean, seriously, 'refer to them by their full titles' they don't even come here." She laughed.

You gave a little laugh, having met the woman in question a few times, knowing she acted as though she and the Allmother were very close. "I know her, you would think she was the Allmother's sister with her manner."

"More like the Allfather's." Mya sniggered. "Have you heard from Anna of late?"

"Not as much as I would like."

"She has herself a partner now, very serious if the stories are true," Mya stated.

"Apparently so, I have to say, I am glad for both of them." You smiled, helping her with some laundry.

"Wait, you know who he is?"

"Wilhelm, Loki's hand servant, I effectively spend all day every day with him. It was so cute Mya, he liked her, but would not brave doing anything but flirting with her."

"I only hope that she has not taken the only man here with an interest in elves." She sighed.

"Wait and see, you'll find some other foolish man soon." You hugged her against you.

"What of you, has any fancy servant or soldier caught your eye?"

"I work with Wilhelm and that is it, and I am glad to say he is taken, and this arrangement suits me well." You grinned.

"Men are not as bad as you think them to be." you gave her an unconvinced look. "Not that I am not glad to see you, but why are you here?" Mya smiled.

"I need some lotions." You explained, leading the other maid to look at you in concern. "I find when it comes to Loki, not asking is the safest option." You explained. Mya simply nodded and retrieved what you required.

Heading back to Loki's rooms, you smiled happily, knowing you would see Mya again soon, having arranged so with her before your departure. You were going to mention it to Wilhelm to speak to Anna regarding it and ask her along also. As you walked, you were blissfully unaware of another looking at you suspiciously as you did so.


	21. Chapter 21

"Wilhelm?"

"I fear you are stuck with just me again, Sir." You smiled politely as Loki looked into the room.

"Is he ever here?"

"Only when required."

"Norn's if this one sticks I am not sure I will have a hand servant." Loki sighed.

"Well, I am sure I can pick up some of the slack." You smiled politely. "Can I be of any assistance, Sir?"

"How are you with assisting men in getting dressed?" He asked, half expecting you to shy away from him.

"More proficient than I care to be." You stated coldly, it was unintentional, but the years of caring for your drunken father had meant knowing how men's attire worked.

"That is depressing." Loki seemed to gather from what you had told him before what you were implying. "Do you not have anywhere else to be during the days yourself?" you looked at him with a raised brow. "Surely, being something different to the norm around here, you have had males interested?"

"Are you trying to have it that you have no assistance all day Sir? If you require, I can leave, I just have nothing better to be doing." You smiled as you followed him into his sleeping chambers, to see what he required help with.

Loki chuckled, "Good argument, find yourself no suitor, I would be lost without you if you were to take time to bear a child." He took off his tunic and stood back to you. "Oh, and about…"

"That's why you needed the lotions." You declared, looking at the nasty lesions on his back. "What in the Norn's?"

"Have you heard of a plant called a nettle?"

"I think there is a tea made of it, is there not? It is not native to Alfheim."

"It's Midgardian." Loki confirmed, "And it is evil, its toxins cause these reactions."

"Hence the need for the creams, you have not applied them properly to your back, can I assist in such?"

"Please."

"Of course, Sir." You took the aloe cream and rubbed it on the raised, reddened skin, the sound it caused Loki to make in relief made you blush. "Better."

"Norn's yes, I have never felt so good in my life."

"That may be a tad dramatic, Sir." You laughed nervously, praying for the blush you could not explain to disappear.

"Four days of this I have suffered."

"Why did you not request it of Wilhelm to assist you?" you asked, curious as to why he had not disclosed it to the hand servant.

"He is rarely here, and when he is, he is a distracted. I would be at risk of having my cologne administered instead." You winced at the thought. "Exactly."

"I can make a comment to them both regarding it if you wish, I am sure as much as you are happy for him; you want him to work also." You finished applying the cream to his wounds, your fingers gliding up a part of his spine as you did, causing the prince to shudder. "Sorry, Sir."

"It's fine." Loki's voice was considerably deeper than it usually was; he turned to glance at you over his shoulder; his eyes seeming far darker than they usually were. "I…" he cleared his throat. "I need to put on a fresh tunic and my armour."

"Of course." You turned to get his heavy chest piece, intelligently made of leather and metal overlapping to make it nigh on impenetrable to an assortment of blades. When you grabbed it, it was far heavier than you had anticipated, having never lifted it before, and it caused you to fall over from the weight. "Oooh!" Loki rushed over to assist you; easily lifting the piece up. "That is heavier than it appears."

"I will have to take your word for it, I am too used to it I suppose." He smiled, placing his hand under your elbow to assist you to your feet. "Norn's you are tiny." He commented as he looked down at you.

"Well, I am an elf." You stated as though obvious.

"But even for an elf, you seem so…"

"If you say fragile I will be forced to injure you, and there is one area of your anatomy in close proximity to my fist." You warned.

"I was going to say petite, or perhaps dainty."

"That is not much better." You stated in bemusement.

Loki swallowed nervously and chuckled. "I suppose not." He smiled. "Are you alright?"

"I will live." You shrugged. "What else do you need for me to get you?"

"My…eh…my pants."

"They are not surprisingly heavy too, are they, Sir?"

Loki chuckled again. "No, I can confirm they are just basic leather pants."

"Then allow me, Sir." You retrieved the pants and walked back to the prince. "May I be so bold as to ask something?" Loki half turned to face you, showing you had his attention. "Do all the members of the royal family choose their own colours, or are they chosen for you?"

"I do not follow."

"You wear mostly greens and black, Prince Thor, reds and blues, the Allmother; silvers, and the Allfather golds."

"That is simply by preferences and not by some greater design," Loki explained with a smile.

"I see."

"What are your favourite colours?" you looked at him in shock at his obscure question. "I know, that is peculiar, just call it curiosity, I know little of you other than the obviously less than desirable information you were forced to explain."

"Blues, and greens. Sometimes the pair combined." You smiled.

"Makes sense, you are a Light Elf, you are more in tune with the land, water and sky than us Aesir." Loki nodded pensively.

"I am sure you are thinking too much into it, but alright, we shall go with that." you dismissed.

"Do you read?"

"No." you shook your head, "I seldom have time, and when I do, I prefer to write."

"Write?" Loki faced you head on then, his curiosity piqued. You cursed yourself for admitting it. "What sort of writing?"

"Nothing of late, I have to get some supplies for that, but before, just stories, born of my dreams."

"You have no writing supplies?" you shook your head. "You really did come with nothing. Why have you not bought any while here?"

"Because they are not high on my priorities at present, I require far more important things." you shrugged.

Loki frowned. "Such as?"

"And there, Sir is where I will not discuss further." You grinned, taking the worn clothing and going to the other room.

"Well, now I am utterly intrigued," Loki commented, following after you. "What could possibly of greater importance than things that grow your mind?"

"Things such as women's products, and undergarments, and perhaps even some clothing."

"Norn's I am glad to be a man." Loki shuddered.

"I find myself envious at your gender also at the times such things are required, and wish it was my own, for then I would be able to shudder at such ideas along with you."

"Do you not like being female?"

"I do not think anything of it, I simply am what I am, though being a man does seem to have its advantages."

"Well you are less likely to be sold off as a slave for one; it would seem."

"I am sure even men have that concern." You disagreed, "though I would not know personally."

"What would men be required for?"

"I presume to build roads, dig and other hard labour."

"You are probably right." Loki was forced to admit.

You winked at him, "I usually am."

"You know it is Thor view that you overly opinionated and brazen," Loki informed you.

"I feel like that should be a badge of honour."

"I concur." Loki chuckled. "I think my brother fears opinionated and strong women."

"They would show up his lacking in such aspects I suspect." Loki erupted in laughter. "What of you, Sir, do you fear women of strong mind?"

Loki bit his lip for a second, looking at you. "Not at all, I think it would be a requirement in my partner."

"Sadly that is going to be a hard find in this court, it appears all your women are taught to be obedient and silent."

"It is a terrible truth." Loki acknowledged.

"Whatever shall you do to rectify it; for I cannot see you to be one to wed one such shrinking violet merely because you are expected to."

"You know me so well already." Loki grinned. "I do not know what I will do. All I do know is the one I do find, she will pale in comparison to you and your wit."

Redness filled your cheeks at his words, his own something similar. "What can I say, sir, I am the pinnacle of that field." You brushed off, before walking from the room, leaving an embarrassed Loki behind, cursing himself, wondering why he had said such a thing aloud.


	22. Chapter 22

You did not turn up to work the next morning, and by lunchtime, Wilhelm and Loki were both concerned. With a small nod of his head, Loki sent Wilhelm to check on you.

"Girlie? You in here?" he called out, knocking on your door. "I am going to come in, I apologise in advance if I…GIRLIE!" he rushed into your room and to your side.

In the middle of the night you felt as though someone had taken a war hammer to the side of your head, it ached so badly. Drinking a large cup of water and chewing on some herbs that alleviated such aches, you turned over and tried to see if sleeping would aid you.

But by an hour later, you were shaking violently, your teeth chattering as you felt like you were in the wilds of Jötunheim while your body sweated as though exposed to the depths of Muspelheim. It felt as though death would be kinder. You tried to sit upright in the bed, but just as you did, you felt as though something was caught in your throat and began to cough, the sensation of choking filling you, and you fell to the floor hard, hitting your head as you did.

"What happened her?" the healers asked as Wilhelm ran into their rooms, you lying limply in his arms.

"She never turned up to work this morning, Prince Loki had me check on her, this is how I found her, I rushed straight here." He explained.

"When was the last time anyone saw her?"

"Yesterday, last night, she readied Prince Loki's rooms last night, and bid me a goodnight; it must have been around eleven, she seemed as right as rain."

"I see." The healer inspected you. "She appears to have ingested something that is disagreeing with her."

"'Disagreeing'?" Wilhelm raised a brow at that. "She looks like she could die."

"She is an elf; they are far more sensitive than we Aesir with their diets. What seems harmless to you and I, is toxic to them. If she is not versed in all things Aesir, she would not know what foods to avoid." She explained. "I will have to ensure she remains asleep as her body deals with the reaction, I will send word as soon as she is stable."

"Thank you." Wilhelm gave a small smile and walked back to Loki's rooms at a quick pace to inform his employer as to what had occurred.

Three days you were unconscious, and in those three days, you felt as though you were simultaneously freezing cold and roasting hot a terrible combination. You wanted to scream, cry and shout as each healer checked on you, poking and prodding you with pins and talking as though you were not even there.

"What is happening?" Loki burst into the healing rooms. "Why is there no word on my maid?"

"We are trying to find the toxin, Your Highness." They explained.

"And between you all, you have nothing, Norn's this is a terrifying prospect for any that are poisoned in Asgard." He snapped.

"She is a Light Elf, Your Highness."

"Really, that only came to you now, did it? I would never have noticed, what with her being a mere five foot tall and her elfin features." He replied sarcastically. Beside him, Wilhelm chuckled, having come in after his employer and catching the last of his statement. "Now, tell me something that is actually news."

"We have no idea what has caused this Your Highness, all we can confirm is that it is not from a food that is toxic to elves."

"So what you are telling me is that she did not willingly ingest it, that she has been poisoned, is that it?" Loki snapped bluntly.

"Well, perhaps she took it of her own free will Your Highness." The healer looked at him in a manner that caused Loki to see red.

"Are you honestly implying that being my maid is reason enough for an elf to try and take her own life?" He demanded his eyes wide and his teeth clenched as he spoke.

"Tatiana." The healer turned and stood back as Eir came into view. "Is this true? Are you trying to suggest a maid would do such a thing?"

"Well, after Freda…"the healer looked at Loki again for a moment.

Loki glared at her, seething in anger. "Well, at least I know not to take offence; I am clearly dealing with a dim fool."

"Please Your Highness, Tatiana is young, she is nothing thinking of what she is implying."

"Clearly not, for she just accused me of being so unbearable my maid would rather take her own life than work for me."

"Wilhelm?" Eir looked to Loki's hand servant. "What is this maid's demeanour?"

"Hardworking and very happy with her position here." He replied immediately.

"Was she in anyway unhappy with her employment of late?"

"Not at all, she clearly is very happy here, she is friends with other maids, maids she had planned to meet yesterday afternoon in the city, all three having been granted the afternoon off to spend the day together." He informed her.

"I do not know about you, Tatiana, but when beings tend to be miserable, they do not take the afternoon to enjoy the company of others." Eir gave the other healer a dismissive look. "You are excused until further notice." The healer's eyes widened but she did as told. "Prince Loki, I cannot apologise enough for Tatiana's implications. I will deal with her personally."

"See that you do."

"I believe your assessment to be correct." He raised a brow at the healer's words. "She did not ingest this willingly, I believe it was administered without her consent."

"How?" Loki shook with anger.

"I cannot say. Does she leave food unattended?"

Loki looked to Wilhelm. "She eats with me most days, same foods mostly, doesn't leave the table until she is done." He explained, then his face went pale. "She leaves a jug of water in her room unattended while she works."

"After three days, any perpetrators would have cleaned their mess." Loki dismissed.

"There is only one way to find out." Wilhelm left the room as quick as he could. When he got to your rooms, he looked around until he found the jug. Running over, he noticed it was empty, and that the cup was not beside it. He cursed and looked around, his head cocking slightly when he realised there was a small glint from under your blanket, which had fallen to the floor when you fell from the bed. Lifting it, he smiled, your cup rolled out to him. It was empty, but with one sniff, he realised there was a potent smell coming from it, one not associated with water. Rushing back to the healer's rooms, he handed it to Loki. It took the prince one whiff. "Cloves."

"The spice?" the healer frowned.

"Yes, that is interesting."

"How so, Your Highness?"

"I will have to do a small bit of research, but I will say this, I have a sneaking suspicion as to what is at play. Wilhelm." Loki beckoned for the hand servant to follow him. "Give her a rose and foxglove solution and then feed her plain foods on her waking." He ordered the healer.

"You seem more than merely suspicious Your Highness," Eir commented.

"I am trying to get in the mind of the perpetrator." Loki looked from side to side as he thought. "I think I know what is afoot."

"I shall administer the antidote you suggest, and perhaps we can get more from the elf when she awakens." Eir gave a small bow and gave the order.

Loki strutted the hallway. "How are you out of your rooms?" he turned to see Wilhelm watching him. "The Allfather made it so you could not leave them."

"I am aware." Loki nodded.

"Then dare I ask?"

"I am a far greater wielder than he could ever have imagined." Loki grinned. Wilhelm just looked at him. "He assumed I would walk out the door of my rooms, not magic my way out."

Wilhelm chuckled and shook his head. "If you were to try and be dangerous, I would fear for Asgard."

"If Asgard was truly in peril, my lack of informing any would be of advantage, would you not agree?" The prince chuckled.

"What do you wish to be done regarding the situation with Girlie?" Wilhelm asked, getting serious once more.

"We collect the evidence, and allow the perpetrator enough rope to hang themselves, before we literally hang them." Loki grinned.

"How do we do that?"

"We set them a trap, they cannot refuse."


	23. Chapter 23

You rolled over to get more comfortable, groaning at your inability to fall back asleep, so you decided to open your eyes. There were many things you could have expected to see on waking in the Healing Rooms, new patients, a healer nearby, even perhaps, a few peculiar things, but of all things you could have wagered you would see, Loki sitting on a chair right next to your head was not high on the list. "Sir." You shot up, trying to get out of the bed but became entangled in sheets. "I'm sorry."

Loki rose to his feet to assist you, ensuring you did not fall off the bed. "Sorry? What have you to be sorry for?"

"I haven't been working." You explained meekly.

"I assume that you have been informed as to what occurred to you on your reawakening?" he asked, you nodded. "And you did not do it to yourself willingly to get off of work?" The mere idea of doing such made your eyes widen as you shook your head. "Then you have nothing to apologise for." He smiled kindly.

"I…" The look he gave you silenced you. "Are you forgiven?" Loki frowned. "For your trick on Thor, has the Allfather permitted you to leave your rooms once more?" You expanded.

Eir, who had come to check on you when she realised that you were awake again, gave the prince a reprimanding look that told you the answer in itself. "No, I have not; I merely came to check on you."

The idea that Loki could very easily get in trouble to see you caused you to look at him as though he was mad. "Why?"

Loki seemed slightly taken back. "Well, you were poisoned."

"But why risk getting in trouble for me?"

"I am concerned for you." The thought of someone caring for you made little sense in your mind, your father had never cared, and he was supposed to by coincidence of your being born to him, so those without connection to you caring was an alien concept. "You do not think yourself worthy of the concern of those around you?" Loki asked, seeing the conflict in your mind.

"I am nothing to anyone here, just a maid." You stated in a small voice.

Eir had completed her assessment looked at you in pity at your lack of self worth, while Loki seemed to become somewhat angered. "Wilhelm has seen you more often in the time you have been here than he has the maid he is courting; in fact, from what I hear, the only times he has seen her since your admittance is here, when she comes to see you. As well as the nursery maid, and you think you think yourself nothing? They spend what little time is their own, here, with you. Not to mention the absolute risk I have taken to come check on you."

"Your Highness." Eir warned, knowing that should she be seen to have not report Loki's appearances, knowing full well he was not supposed to be outside of his quarters, she too would suffer. "Getting angered will only alert others to your being here, not to mention, it is bad for my patient." She scolded.

"Sorry." Loki calmed himself before turning to you again. "You matter considerably to a few beings, though one more than others if they are willing to risk their neck to murder you."

"M…murder?" you had not thought of it in such a way. When Wilhelm and Eir had spoken to you regarding the poisoning, you had tried to brush it off as a mistake, something in the water that had simply gotten through the system without any realising, and only affected you because of you being an elf; but to actually think that one may want to murder you was a different thing altogether, and it terrified you.

"Yes, and we need to understand why." Loki stated, not taking any notice of your distress. "Needless to say, I have had Wilhelm and your fellow elves looking around, myself also when permitted, and we have little evidence of yet."

"Sir?"

"We can wager who, but the why and the how are yet to be found. This can only all come to a head when we have all of the evidence, otherwise they may very well get away with it."

"Innocent until proven guilty can be a difficult situation sometimes." The healer agreed. "I take it you got my run down of the ingredients used?" she asked Loki.

"I did, thank you Eir, I was also able to get the reason why you could not smell the cloves before drinking it." He explained to you, "A basic but effective potion, but it leaves undeniable proof of its using afterwards." He continued. "Also, the herbs in your rooms to alleviate aches and cramps were tampered with. The poppy seeds were removed and flaxseed put in its stead, should you have noticed the lack of dark seeds."

"I don't…"

"Poppy seeds are the pain blocker in that mixture, the other herbs are to ensure your stomach remains settled taking something so heavy, but flaxseed is no good for elves, it disrupts everything, and gives you spiking temperatures." Eir explained.

"Wait, you were in my rooms?" you looked at Loki in horror.

"That is what you derive from all of this." He looked at you in exasperation. "Yes I was in your rooms, and may I say, the prison cells are better equipped."

"I feel violated." You murmured to yourself, causing Loki to look at you indignantly and Eir to laugh to herself.

"It was your rooms, you see mine daily."

"I am paid money to care for them, not to comment as to whether I think them properly equipped." You argued.

"What could mine possibly be missing?"

"A wife?"

Loki winced as he heard his mother answer his question. "Hello mother." He turned to look at her cautiously.

"I am curious as to how you were able to get passed your father's spell, as well as his ravens, Huginn and Muninn know well the differences between you and your clones."

"Wait, he has those two winged flea sacks watching me too, now I feel violated!" Loki stated indignantly.

"That is hardly the issue here my son, how did you get passed your father's cordons, and more importantly, why risk being caught doing so?" her gaze fell upon you in the bed, causing her to look at you before turning to Eir. "What has happened?"

"Someone made an attempt on her life." Loki explained. Frigga stared at him, her mouth opening in shock. "She was poisoned, when she did not turn up at my quarters for work, Wilhelm went to her rooms to find her near death."

"Had it not been for Prince Loki's input, we would be dealing with one dead elf." Eir added.

"I…Why in the realms would someone poison a handmaid?" Frigga asked in disbelief. "Are there any demanding a higher position?"

"No, it is more likely to do with her being of such a position." Loki responded.

"You left your rooms, risking your father casting you to a century of service on the frontier with Muspelheim, to assist your maid?" Loki nodded; causing Frigga to smile proudly at him. "My son."

"Wait, what would happen?" you looked at Loki is terror.

"I'd be back within a decade." He dismissed nonchalantly. "Once Thor would mess up something important I would be required, as per usual to fix the mess."

Frigga gave her son an annoyed glance before getting back to the matter at hand. "Do we have a suspect for this?"

"Suspect yes, proof, not one shred."

"Well then, I think I had best go ask the right people some very specific questions." The Allmother turned to leave. "Recover swiftly." She smiled at you before turning to Loki. "And you and I will be discussing the matter of how you have paraded through the palace as though you singlehandedly own it with your current predicament Loki."

"It is simple really, I transport past my door in the guise of Wilhelm and use the servants stairwells as would be expected." Loki shrugged as though it so obvious only a fool would not think to do it.

"Sometimes simplicity is perfection." Frigga smiled.

"How did you think to come here?"

"I met the real Wilhelm in your rooms, perhaps making him look like you works on your brother or other staff, but it will never work on me, he does not have your mannerisms, nor the skill to pull them off. When confronted, I simply asked him where you were, and when he said here, I did not think to ask why, only see for myself." She smiled fondly; and with that the queen left.

"You are free to return to your chambers." Eir stated. "But I must insist on no work until the weekend and only light work to begin with upon your return, it is important you continue to eat the foods I have given you here so to allow your recovery, understood?"

"Yes Ma'am." You nodded, relieved to be finally able to leave the Healing Rooms.

"But she is still weak?" Loki queried as though you were not there in front of him and the healer.

"Indeed she is, hence my say no working until the week has passed."

"But if she is still weak, then why would she be allowed go to the one area that her would-be killer would try to harm her again?" the healer said nothing in return, having not though of such an issue. "She cannot be released to go there."

"I am right here." You grumbled.

"It is too dangerous." Loki argued.

"I fear I must agree with His Highness my dear, you are at too great a risk to be by yourself."

"But… I can't stay here."

"I agree." Loki concurred.

"Then what am I to do? It is you that said I cannot return to my rooms, yet you also agree I cannot stay here?" you asked in exasperation. "I suppose I could ask Anna or Mya to stay with them."

"Absolutely not, you would immediately be putting them in danger also." You hung your head at that, not wanting to be the reason for either of your friends getting hurt. "Besides, should the assailant wish to attack you again, they are working, giving you no protection."

"Then how…?"

"It is as simple as could be; you will remain in my quarters until you are better." He shrugged.

Your eyes bulged at his words. "What?"

"I am not supposed to leave them, there are guards stationed outside the door, I am proficient at all forms of combat and no one tends to enter without being sent, so it is so simple to deduce who is there without good reason to be." Loki explained logically.

"Have you gone mad?"

"It is actually a very wise idea." Eir agreed.

"Then it is settled, I will have Wilhelm organise everything."

"But…" You knew there was no point in arguing, it was clear, your say on the matter was irrelevant. "Fine, but this is madness." You sighed.

"The best plans usually are." Loki grinned; a small flash of green encircled him, and a moment later, what appeared to be Wilhelm was standing in front of you. "Come on then." He smiled.

"That is slightly discomforting." You commented, hearing Loki's voice come from Wilhelm's mouth.

He chuckled. "It will only be until we enter my quarters."

"I need to go to mine." He looked set to argue with you. "I need some clothing."

"Of course, how foolish of me." He agreed. "We will go en route. Now, I assume you are eager to leave?"

"You assume correctly." You kicked your feet out of the bed. "Damn."

"What?"

"I can't walk around the palace in a nightdress." You stated, indicating to your attire.

"Yes, that is an issue." He stated staring at you, you blushing at the fact it was not the most heavy of nightdresses, and as a result had a hint of translucency about it. With a wave of his hand, the nightdress altered to a simple yet beautiful day dress. "Better."

"It's gorgeous." You beamed looking down.

"Yes, well, I am known to have impeccable taste." He shrugged. "Now, how about we get going?"

"Yes." You smiled, taking his hand that he had extended to help you up.

"I will come by after evening meal to check on you." Eir smiled, nodding at her, you walked out of the room, Loki insisting on keeping your hand on his arm.

"That is not necessary." You whispered.

"No, but it is nice." Loki smiled. He kept the pace slow enough, allowing your legs, which had not been used in two weeks, to get used to being in use once more. When you arrived, you opened the door, unsure of how your rooms would look on the other side. It was tidy and the bed was made with fresh sheets. "Get what you need and we shall go, it is not right for you to be on your feet so long."

"Alright." You got the dress Wilhelm had leant you the money for, as well as one of your work dresses and a few undergarments before grabbing what little toiletries you owned and made your way to a wardrobe you the suitcases from Alfheim in. When you opened it, you were forced to bite your lips together and hold back tears. Inside you had a small trinket box, one Mya had said was being dumped from the nursery so she gave it to you, and in it, you had stored the wages you had not yet been able to spend, which you had intended to rectify the day of meeting the other two maids in the city, hoping to get a few more things for yourself, a nice shawl you wanted to start putting money on, and perhaps a nice paper set, but the box was open, and every last coin gone. Grabbing the suitcase, you turned and rushed to the bed.

"What is it?" Loki demanded, noticing your heartbreak immediately. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing." You swallowed and forced the word out, but it cracked as you uttered it.

Loki walked over to the furnishing and looked in, noting the battered old box. "What was in this?" He asked, holding out the broken wooden decoration. "What was in it?" he repeated slowly.

"My wages." You half sobbed. "All of them."

Loki's hands shook with rage and though he had Wilhelm's appearance, the look of ire on it was one only Loki could have, his nostrils flared. "So this has been taken from you too?"

"I cannot say who did it." You admitted, which was the truth.

"It was Wilhelm who fixed your room, other than that, none have entered." He stated his eerie calm terrifying.

"Wilhelm would never take from me, I know that." you stated confidently.

"So the foul little beast took your hard earned money also." Loki snarled. "I will kill them myself."

"It's just money, I'll earn more." You dismissed.

"How much was there?"

"I…Nearly two month's worth."

"Two…that's a considerable amount."

"I was saving to get everything I needed, I wanted to get it all at once." You explained. "Wilhelm offered to mind it, and he did, but I was supposed to meet Mya and Anna in the city the day after I was… so he gave it all to me."

"We will have this dealt with, I assure you." Loki promised.

"I…"

"I promise, by the end of this month, you will have your money back, and those that harmed you will have pay dearly for all they have done to you." He used his forefinger to tilt your head up to get you to look him the eye to show you the conviction in his words.

"But you said already, you have no proof."

"I don't need proof, not when I know what needs doing."

"I don't understand."

"Do not fret of such things right now, I assure you, I am working on it." He smiled kindly. "Now, let us go and get you some rest."

"I've done nothing but rest since I woke."

"I know, but that bed is uncomfortable to say the least, I know, I have had to endure it before, so why don't we get you into a bed you can actually sleep in."

As much as it was awkward for you, the idea of a proper bed sounded too good to pass up.


	24. Chapter 24

"And the purpose of this is to what exactly?" You asked as Loki explained the game to you.

"See if you can mix luck, in how the cards are dealt, with the ability to see if your opponent is lying to you." Loki grinned.

"So, you have me," you pointed to yourself. "Playing a game of deceit, with you," you pointed to him "the God of such. That's hardly fair!"

"I see he is dragging you into his trap, there is no winning," Wilhelm commented as he entered the room, carrying a food tray filled with food for you both. You looked guiltily at him, feeling like you were failing at your job. "Hey, come the weekend, this is your role again, remember?"

"No, Eir stated light work only." Loki reminded him.

"Yeah, I'll bring it upstairs, and Girlie here will serve it."

"I have a name."

"Yeah, Girlie." Wilhelm grinned back, causing you to stick out your tongue at him. "Real mature." You responded by repeating the action.

"Stop sidetracking my student come opponent," Loki ordered.

"She doesn't even know how to play." Wilhelm scoffed.

"And she will continue to not know if you don't let me teach her," Loki argued. "But before we continue, eat your food." He instructed.

"Yes, general." You gave a bad military salute as Loki gave you an unimpressed look as Wilhelm erupted in laughter.

Loki was about to say something else before something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. "I am doing exactly what you want, so what has you here looking as though I poured horse piss in Asgard's meads supply?" He growled, looking to his indignant looking father and his somewhat open-mouthed brother.

"What is the meaning of this?" Odin demanded, before pointing to you, causing you to shy away. "Why is there a rumour that your maid is now residing in your rooms floating around the palace and why is she speaking to you in such a manner?"

"Because she is sleeping here, and because I don't like my staff to act as though they have steel poles forcibly inserted into their asses." He snarked back.

"And pray tell boy, why is she residing here? And why, if there is logical and good reason for such, was it Thor overhearing his maid and servant talking of it was the reason this was even found out?"

"Well then, it will shock you to know that mother is fully aware of all of this and that it has her full backing, but you would not because, if you recall, you barred my leaving my rooms and you have, with exception of this moment, not bothered to enter them since this punishment was cast so to even discuss the very serious matter of an attempted murder of a member of your palace's staff with you, but of course, the wonderfully informative bitch who mentioned this little tidbit had no doubt done so with the sole intention of my also uncaring brother hearing, so to tattle to his father as he has done without fail for a millennia so to imply I was bedding said targeted maid instead of ensuring her safety until such time as the perpetrator is caught. She is still recovering from her ordeal, and as Eir's visits to these rooms would confirm, is still on an order of rest." Loki grinned.

Odin swallowed as he processed what Loki was saying and the fact that there seemed to be several others aware of the situation. "Your mother knows?"

"Of course, she was here not an hour ago, go check with her." Loki grinned, seeing that his father could no longer act as he had intended.

"What happened?" Loki raised a brow. "How do we know it was a murder attempt?"

"'We' Father, you did not care in the slightest until I called you out as an ignorant fool to the situation. Perhaps had you had your fleabags flying around keeping check on your house rather than boring them senseless by sitting them on my balcony to stare at me daily, you would have seen for yourself that there was foul play afoot?" Loki growled.

"You never said anything," Odin argued.

"You never came by for me to say anything, you have me imprisoned here, or has your mind begun to fail you?" Loki shouted back, rising to his feet.

"Your mother should have told me."

"It was not her place to, you should have come yourself, weeks I have been in here, and not once have either of you shown your ugly faces."

"What is going on within the staff, Loki?" Thor decided to try and alter the conversation, not wanting Loki to continue to focus on his lack of caring for his brother.

"What do you care, all you thought was that you were going to arrive here to see me rutting my maid like some uncouth beast?" Loki snarled at his blonde brother. "You thought me as depraved as you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Thor challenged, standing in front of his brother, chest out.

"Well, shall I start naming names or attempt to save time and name their departments; both will take considerable amounts of such?" Loki grinned wickedly. Thor stood back. "Thor, the shining example, nothing more than a whore with male genitalia."

"Loki," Odin warned, but he glared at his older son as he spoke.

"And the champion of the people." Loki scoffed. "Your shit stirring maid, bring her here now, I need to speak with her," Loki demanded.

"Why?"

"Well, her rooms are only two doors from my maids in her residence, perhaps she saw the would-be assassin for one."

"What happened exactly?" Odin demanded. "Tell us now, Loki."

"My maid never turned up for work one day, and unlike the useless wenches I was given before I demanded her, that was uncommon, for she is usually already in my front rooms before I even finish bathing, by lunchtime, both myself and Wilhelm were highly concerned, so I sent Wilhelm to check on her. When he entered her rooms, after several attempts to get her to answer the door to him, he found her, near death on the floor. He rushed her to Eir, who quickly deduced she was poisoned, and not with something of her own doing, so upon her release, I had her brought here. She is still weak, and should the perpetrator wish to attack her again, she would be unable to defend herself, here she has guards and myself to help defend her, any stupid enough to try would be caught with a moments notice." Loki explained.

"Why harm a maid though?" Thor asked, looking at you.

"Why have it appear like she stole our mother's ring? Someone is after her, and I planned to find out whom."

"Wait, what is this of a stolen ring?" Odin demanded glaring at you, causing you to cower.

"Nothing father; mother, Loki and I deduced it could never have been her, she never knew of its existence, much less came in contact with it," Thor explained.

"Indeed." Odin took another moment to look at you before looking to Loki again. "So where has she been sleeping?" Loki tossed his head slightly to the large sofa on the other side of the room, sure enough; you had folded the blankets you had used the previous night over the back. "This needs to be dealt with, immediately."

"Proof is an integral part of any investigation and conviction father, you know that." Loki scoffed. "Premature accusations can cause flightiness."

"And have you been trying to find some?"

"It is somewhat difficult when one is confined to a mere few rooms; I can only do so much from here," Loki stated as though obvious.

Odin turned to Thor, "Get this maid of yours." He ordered. Thor looked at him for a moment. "Now!" Thor did not waste another moment and turned to do as told. When he left the room, Odin turned to Wilhelm, "Go and get the captain of the Einherjar, he is currently in the soldiers' quarters."

"Yes, Allfather." Wilhelm bowed and did as told.

You looked between father and younger son fearfully, becoming even more concerned when the king's gaze fell on you for a moment before he looked to Loki. "Why Loki, why do you care about a simple maid?"

"You told us since youth, we should care for every last being on this realm, from the lowliest of tavern dwellers to the highest of lords, it is our duty as the royal family, and as good men, you said that, remember?" Loki snarled. "My staff are an extension of me, they are also two of the only beings that do not try to win my favour to be closer my idiot brother, I take their loyalty and respect very personally."

"Do you have a suspect?"

"Yes."

"Then proof is paramount. Do what you must Loki."

"Are you pretending you actually care?"

"What is occurring besmirches all of this house, how can the people expect us to lead if we cannot control our own home, this must be dealt with efficiently and effectively. It needs to be made crystal clear, this behaviour will be dealt with brutal force, am I understood?"

"Indeed."

"Also, we could have gotten into a serious situation with Alfheim over the situation of having their realms people here without agreements in place. Her demanding that she wanted to remain and that she was treated well is a large part of the reason we are not at war with our usual allies at present."

Loki walked over and extended his hand to you. "You need to be sitting over on your makeshift bed when Rebekkah arrives."

Nodding, you took his hand as he helped you to your feet, meekly; you made your way across, eyeing the intimidating Allfather cautiously as you went.

"What are you doing Loki?" Odin asked, his eye trailing you as you did as Loki requested.

"The next phase of the plan, of course, it must be spread among the staff that what that foul little wench of a maid has been saying is more than likely true."

"Why?"

"Because I grow bored of waiting, it is time to bring this to the fore," Loki smirked.


	25. Chapter 25

Rebekkah strutted into the room as though she had been told she was to be the Allmother, her face smug and her eyes gleeful. Thor watched her carefully every step since he had found her, terrified by her demeanour. When she saw you sitting in a chair, comfortable with blankets on you and Loki next to you with Odin keenly watching nearby, her mouth fell open.

"So you are the maid that informed Thor of what was going on here?" Odin demanded, not wasting a moment.

"Well Allfather, it would be more accurate to say he heard Frederick and I discussing the situation." She smiled.

"I see. So it was a staff matter, not worthy of my son's attention?"

"Well, no, but it is not my place…"

"Apparently this is old news, having been so since yesterday, did you know such?"

Rebekkah shifted slightly. "Well, no…"

"I see, well I think when your hand servant gets back Loki, we should have him seek Adelaide."

Rebekkah's eyes grew wide. "I think that a good idea." Loki agreed, looking at the maid as her emotions became clear on her face. There was a knock on the door. "Enter," Loki ordered, a moment later, Wilhelm opened in and held it as a very ornately dressed Einherjar walked in.

"You called upon me, Allfather." He bowed.

"Jan, so good of you to come, I apologise if I disrupted anything. I need to discuss a very serious issue within the staff." Odin began.

"The poisoned Light Elf?" The guard asked, looking directly at you.

"You are aware?"

"Yes, Allfather. It was reported to me, along with every shred of evidence that could be found from the healer's tests."

"Have you started investigating?"

"Of course Allfather, if there was risk that that toxin was to be ingested by Prince Loki, it goes from simply attempted murder to treason, neither a light accusation, however…"

"A Light Elf maid is not as high as a prince, none here will be so foolish as to take offence." He gently rubbed your shoulder, something everyone in the room took note of. "Wilhelm, could you please fetch Adelaide for us, her knowledge is required."

"Of course." Wilhelm bowed and turned on his heels again.

"Am I the only person in the palace that did not know?" Odin asked utterly offended.

"Well as stated Allfather, a member of staff is not so great as to warrant your knowing the basic details, I have a report already started that I was going to give you this evening." The Einherjar stated.

"Well, that is something, however, when my son's…maid, is poisoned, I am somewhat more in need of knowing, an attack on our chamber staff is an attack on us."

"Of course Allfather, I hope this never has to be something I will have to be corrected as to the protocol of on a second occasion."

"As do I, Jan. Once is once too many times."

As they all spoke, then silenced, you remained in your chair, not saying anything, all too conscious of the occasional looks everyone was giving you; Loki's hand never ceasing to touch you.

After what seemed like an eternity, Wilhelm and Adelaide returned, the older maid seemingly informed of what had been occurring, and her face and indeed glare at Rebekkah showing her anger.

"Adelaide, have the staff been discussing what happened?" Odin enquired.

"Of course your Majesty, it is effectively the biggest news in the palace, a poisoned maid has all other staff on tenterhooks; all terrified they could be next." She explained, Rebekkah throwing her eyes up.

"And among the staff, is there any murmurings as to who did it?"

"There are a few names floating around," Adelaide answered, her eyes darting to Rebekkah for the fleetest of moments.

"I see," Odin was about to continue when the doors opened, Frigga and Eir both standing there.

"So you know?" Frigga stated plainly.

"You did not tell me."

"Well I was going to, but we were investigating so to catch the culprit," Frigga answered.

"You had Jan investigate?"

"My family and our staff are at risk if there is an assassin at play, of course, I did." Frigga scoffed.

"Is it true Eir, that you agreed to the elf being brought here with Loki for her protection?" Odin asked the healer.

"It was the only way I would release her from the Healing Rooms, she is still weak, she could never fend off another attack, but here she is safe, warm and protected." The healer stated confidently.

"Indeed, tell me, Adelaide, with regards this maid," he pointed to Rebekkah, "She claims to have only come to the knowledge that this was happening not an hour ago."

Adelaide did not even attempt to hide her scoff. "It was her that declared it to the entire of housekeeping in the Messer's hall yesterday, with poor Frederick trying to get her to shut her filthy trap for once." The room turned to the other maid, who seemed to be trying to get out her defence, but she was silently trying to form words. "If I may speak freely Allfather." Odin nodded. "Rebekkah relishes in putting down any other member of staff she can, this one," she pointed to you. "Being her most loathed, for reasons not known to anyone, probably not even Rebekkah. Since the day she arrived, she has had it in for her, and would only want to spread rumours about her to try and have her cast out, every last member of staff, housekeeping or otherwise knows that."

Odin took a moment to assess his faithful maid's words, he walked over to Rebekkah, who had the audacity to try and seem guiltless to him. "And you have nothing to say in retaliation to such words?"

"She's unimportant, why would I care about her?" Rebekkah shrugged.

"I am curious, if she is so 'unimportant', then why, pray tell, are you still discussing it in my son's quarters a full day after it happened?" Odin challenged. "Though it is obvious really, you wished to inform my son, implying it was something untoward so he would feel the need to report it." Though Odin's voice was low, there was a menace brewing under it.

"I think this bitch is trying to use our family as pawns in her little game," Loki stated in disgust. "Are you someone's pawn father?"

Loki's analogy enraged the king, and even Thor took a step back as he turned again to the maid. "Is that your game, treat this realm's royal family like little puppets?"

"No, Allfather, I would never…"

"Father, I…" Thor began, the manner Odin glared at him caused him to cower slightly. "I think I require a new chambermaid."

"I think you right there." Odin snarled in agreement. "Adelaide, is that daughter of yours still looking for a change in employment?"

"Yes, Allfather."

"Tell her to be here tomorrow morning, and that I will reimburse her previous employer for the loss of earnings."

"Thank you Allfather, she will not leave you down."

"With you as a mother, I can assume even her worst is better than this one's best." He glared at Rebekkah, who looked indignantly at him. "You, are demoted to cleaning the soldiers' garderobes." He stated, turning away from her.

"What, no." She shrieked.

Everyone, from the other chambermaids to the Allmother stared at her in disbelief. "I beg your pardon." Odin's voice was eerily calm.

"I…My apologies Allfather, I…I…please."

"If you think you can plea to me, after your actions just now, I fear you need to see the Healer for a severe issue within your head. You are to be put on a menial pay also until you become proficient at your job, am I clear?" Tears welled in Rebekkah's eyes. "Now get out of my sight." She stood there, staring at him. "GET OUT!" You pulled Loki's arm so that it was an, albeit meagre shield for you, as you cowered from the large booming voice of the Allfather. Loki, sensing your terror, leant down and gave you the protection you wanted. Rebekkah seemed to physically jump into the air before turning and fleeing the room. "Have the guards keep an eye on her," Odin ordered.

"Allfather."

"Even if she is innocent of anything else, she is clearly as trustworthy as a feather as a paperweight." You frowned at the Allfather's odd analogy. "Jan, come, we have much to discuss, Adelaide, go speak with your daughter, should she require a nursery maid, I'm sure there will be eager takers since neither of you two seem willing to give them any duties." He commented to his sons.

"Well Thor does not have to worry about siring children to keep them busy, he is nothing more than a large toddler the vast majority of the time anyway," Loki commented.

"I feel as though you try but fail to shut your own mouth some day's boy." Odin sighed in irritation.

"I don't even try; I will admit that here and now," Loki stated nonchalantly in return. Frigga shot him a warning look before she and Eir came over to check on you.

"Better since yesterday." Eir smiled. "You are getting some colour back in your cheeks, or you were until you were scared out of your very skin."

"I imagined he could roar, but that was like a bellowing bull." You murmured.

Loki chuckled at your words and stayed close by. His mother eyeing him carefully. "Dare I ask what you are planning?" she looked at her son before she looked at you for a moment.

"I would not want to ruin the surprise mother." He grinned wickedly in return. "But I swear to you; it will be spectacular."


	26. Chapter 26

You grinned wicked as Loki stared in disbelief. "How?" He demanded.

You just shrugged, "beginners' luck I suppose."

"What suppose, there is no suppose about it, you're cheating." He retorted in an infantile manner.

"If I was cheating, you would have sensed it." You argued.

"But you're winning."

You laughed. "That doesn't mean I am cheating."

"But…"

"What has Loki in a tizzy?" Wilhelm asked, returning with some food trays.

"I'm winning." You declared proudly, looking around at your friend with a huge smile on your face.

"What!" Wilhelm asked in shock. "How?"

You made hand gestures for him to come over. "He has a tell." You whispered, causing Wilhelm's eyes go wide.

"It is rude to whisper in the company of others," Loki growled. "Wilhelm, we are friends longer than she has been able to walk, what did she say?"

"What, no. do not drag Wilhelm into this." You chastised.

"You have a tell."

"Wilhelm!" You stared at him in disgust and betrayal at his telling him.

"What, we are friends longer; and he's the boss."

"Well, fine, and you will remain friends longer too, for I am no longer speaking to you." You folded your arms and looked away from him.

"Aw, Girlie." He grinned. "That's what brothers are for, ask Loki."

"Do not drag me into this; no betrayal you concoct will ever rival Thor's," Loki grumbled.

"See?" He smiled, glad that Loki had confirmed it; you simply ignored him and picked up the cards, dealing another game.

"It would appear you are in the proverbial hound kennel." Loki chuckled.

"I fear you are right," Wilhelm said no more and put your food next to you, you simply looked at your cards. "Girlie?"

"If you utter one word or make a single gesture regarding my cards, I will end you here and now Wilhelm." You warned, not even looking at him.

"Our friendship is stronger." He indicated between himself and Loki.

"Indeed, by the passage of time, but by that account, so too is mine and Anna's," you explained. The smile fell from Wilhelm's face.

Loki laughed. "She has you there."

"Girlie…"

"It would be a shame should she think to…perhaps ignore you and your…needs for a time."

Loki looked between the pair gleefully. "Oh, this is delicious." He grinned.

"I had best go to the library as you asked." Wilhelm backed away slowly, looking in terror at you as he did.

When he went out the door, Loki eyed you for a moment. "There is a coldness in you." He commented.

"Yes, well, you have seen it in the past also."

"Have I?"

"Perhaps your inebriated state caused you to forget, but yes, you did."

"I do recall that it is somewhat difficult to forget," Loki commented. "I did not think one so small could hold such contempt."

"I don't fair to well with fools."

"You and I share that trait."

"Can I ask you something, Sir?" Loki looked at you, concerned why you would refer to him in such a way, considering the conversation you had just been having. "What is this scheme of yours that you seem to think will be so spectacular."

Loki gave a coy grin. "I cannot say yet, but I can assure you, it will be interesting." He promised.

"Does it involve the being that did this to me?" you asked.

"It is all in their honour."

"You don't have to." You dismissed.

Loki placed his cards down and came over to you. "I do, you are by far the greatest little treasure to find." He smiled. You swallowed nervously, not sure if he was merely making game of you. He cleared is throat anxiously, regretting being so forward. "I suggest you eat, you are almost as pale as me."

"Yes…I should." You looked at the food in front of you, not sure how you were going to eat it with your stomach somersaulting within you.

"What in the realms is that?" Loki asked, looking at your plate.

"Deer."

"What part of a deer is it?" he asked, staring at the cut of meat.

"Liver." You thought nothing of it, having eaten such a meal since youth, it was cheap, easily cooked and very nutritious. "Are you alright?" you asked fearfully, watching as his face turned almost green.

"I…You eat that!" he asked, his revulsion blatant.

"Yes, don't Aesir?"

"NO!"

"Why not, it's very delicious."

"I am going to be ill."

"Well, don't throw up on my food." You warned.

"Why; it is not as though you can threaten me with no intimacy, speaking of which, how do you know this of Wilhelm's personal life?"

"Because for some reason, I assume a form of torture for something I did in a past life, Anna decided that she needed to inform me that she and Wilhelm are very much in love with one another, in every imaginable way." You shuddered, recalling the other elf telling you that she had lost her maidenhood to the hand servant, something you really were not in need of knowing."

"You look as nauseous as me." Loki chuckled.

"Of all the things I could have lived happily without ever knowing of my closest friends, that certainly is number one on that list." You retorted.

"What if they were to ever have a child?"

"I al aware what they would be doing, I just hope for that, they would no give me all the minute, unnecessary details."

"What of you, no male suitors?"

"I think my severe lack of other concerned males checking on me at this time answers that," you stated, taking a bit of bread. "Anna seems to have snared the only Aesir to find himself looking passed the exterior appearance of a female elf."

Loki frowned. "You think yourself ugly?"

"Shall we revert back to the no male suitor's part?" you shrugged. "I do not think I am ugly, simply too different for men here. I know Wilhelm's brother mocked him about Anna's appearance a few times, and I know it was all only in jest, but it is odd, we're not very common here if you recall."

"I would have thought that to make you more exotic, more covetable."

"It would seem not all think such a way." You shrugged.

"Then they are fools."

"Do you think then that should there be a good elfin Lady presented to you, that you would consider her?" You asked.

"If she were to be of strong mind, yes."

"That is what matters to you, strong character." You commented.

"It is all that truly matters; looks fade, time alters us all physically, but when the time comes that lust and duty are fulfilled, I think I would want one that is strong willed, strong minded, funny, intelligent, unselfish, kind, giving…" he trailed off, the manner in which he was looking at you unsettling you slightly. "Beauty is indeed a bonus, but…"

"But what?"

"Nothing." He sighed sadly. "I am often envious of Wilhelm these days, he gets to court the elfin maid he clearly loves, while I am unable to do so."

You frowned. "If you found yourself attracted to someone, then surely all you need to do is speak with the Allmother regarding it, she is desperate to wed you off."

Loki gave a cold bark of a laugh. "You would think so, but her standing is not suitable."

"Then it is true, Wilhelm is to be envied."

"And what of me?" He asked, looking you directly in the eye.

"Pitied." You stated sadly.

"Is it wrong that I find myself just yearning for her company, am I only hurting myself more in the long run?" He asked, his pain blatant.

"Many would think it cruel to yourself, taunting yourself with what you know you cannot have, but at the same time, I think it understandable. We all wish to have what we love, why would you be any different."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did." You grinned playfully, earning a bemused look from him. "Yes, of course, you may, Sir."

"Do you think me…am I..." he hit his head on his palm, "I feel like a fool asking this."

"Then ask it quickly. There is nothing you can say to me that will cause me to run screaming from the room." You encouraged.

"Am I appealing to look at? I mean, I know I am not like Thor, but…"

"Yes." You replied quickly, causing him to silence. "And with regards Prince Thor, he is the image of his father, burly and that is a terrible forewarning to many women. Some prefer lithe men, you are strong, but let us face it, you can actually fit a wife in a bed with you; Prince Thor is like a bull, far too big." You rambled. "Do you think otherwise?"

"I do."

"Then you are blind." You smiled. "Why do you not ask this girl her thoughts, she must be something special to caught the eye of one such as you? You set such high standards for everything else, I think she would be no exception."

"If I make my feelings clear and she rejects them, I would be left heartbroken, and at great risk of never having her speak with me again as she did before, and that I cannot bear thinking of."

"But if she shares your feelings," you encouraged.

"Do you?" Loki asked, his eyes hopeful as he came over to you.

"Do I what?"

"Nothing." He turned away, not able to look at you.

Your eyes widened as you noticed the heartbreak on his face. "Me?" you asked disbelief flooding your features. He looked at you shamefully. "I…you meant me? I am who you…? But why? You could have anyone."

"I do not want just anyone."

"But I am just a maid." You tried to rise to your feet.

"I do not care." He declared. "You, you are the only woman I have ever cared for the opinion of, the only one who I feel actually understands me, who can say what I need to hear, not what I want to hear, you are so beautiful, I noticed that when we met that day in the hallway, when you referred to me as Sir, I knew then I could not be without you in my life."

"So you only gave me a job to have me here?" You asked, slightly offended.

"What, no, you really are a great maid." He confirmed. "I thought you beautiful that day, but when we spoke more, when I heard of your home life, I found myself more and more intrigued and attracted to you. I…If I may?" he cupped your face with his hand, when you did not pull away or object in any manner, he leant forward, keeping his eyes on yours as he edged his lips towards yours, just before he could, however, the sound of the outer doors opening and Wilhelm entering the other room caught your attention, and he pulled back and walked away from you.


	27. Chapter 27

When Wilhelm entered the room, he froze and stared between you and Loki, the God's demeanour and your avoidance of looking at anything but the floor telling him immediately that the atmosphere had altered drastically since when he had left. "I retrieved the books you required." He stated cautiously, handing the books to Loki.

"Put them in the other room." Loki's voice was strained. "And then go and see that elf of yours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I have to deal with this assassination issue."

"And Girlie?" Wilhelm looked to you, but again, you did not look to him.

"Needs to rest, we both heard Eir." He stated, not looking at you.

"Without someone guarding her? Loki, that's…"

"What do you think Einherjar are for, decoration?" Loki growled, causing you to jump and Wilhelm to stare at him open-mouthed.

"Do not snap at him, Wilhelm was just trying to show concern." You snapped angrily, finally looking at Loki with an angry glare.

"It's alright." Wilhelm shrugged, used to Loki's moods.

"No, it is not alright." You corrected. "Just because he is in a mood does not mean he can speak to anyone that way, be they, King or servant."

Wilhelm just stared between you as you glared at Loki and he glared at you. "I…"

"Just go see Anna; I will deal with this arrogant ass." You said still looking at Loki.

"Go." Loki reaffirmed; his gaze still on you.

"I am not sure I should, maybe I should…"

"Just go." As though you had planned it, you and Loki barked the two words at him in perfect unison. Deciding that it was better to leave you two at loggerheads and save his own ass, Wilhelm simply turned and left.

"You do not get to order my staff around."

"I am your staff too if you recall, and you do not get to speak to anyone in such a manner simply because you are a prince."

Loki took long strides until he was back in front of you again. "You forget your place."

"The reason for all of this is because you have forgotten yours."

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"You are a prince, second only to your brother. As soon as he takes the throne, you are second in line until he has children, and as such you should not be even considering the maid that is the daughter of a heartless drunk and gambler, but a Lord."

"You will find that your father being such things only makes him far more alike to the Lords of court."

"You know this is wrong."

"Very well then, I shall simply concentrate on finding this would-be assassin, and when they are dealt with, I will go willingly to the border with Muspelheim until I am over this infatuation." You gulped, your heart aching at the mere thought. "What say you to that?"

"There is no need for you to do that." you stated quietly.

"On the contrary, it is very much all I can do, what other option is there. So long as you are here, and I see you daily, I will want you, I will love you." He growled.

Hearing him say that caused you to stare at him, eyes wide. "I…I can leave."

"And where will you go?"

"Back to Alfheim, I am sure I can make a living there." You stated meekly.

"How, you have not even the money for a glass of water at a tavern?" He scoffed. "That filthy thief took your earnings."

"I am sure there are ways to earn a room and board."

You squeaked in terror as Loki pushed you against the nearest wall, a hand on either side of your head, his green eyes filled with horror. "You will not dare to even utter such things."

"Why; that is the way for so many, why should I be any different?"

"Because you are better than any other, why can you not see it?" Loki's teeth were bared, and his frustration brewing more and more. "You are the most beautiful and precious of creatures, surround by mud and rock, and you cannot even see it, it is sickening to even think you cannot, to think you would do something so horrible to yourself. You cannot be allowed to be swallowed by filth and darkness."

"I cannot be yours Loki, you know that." you tried to get it through to him.

"If I were not a prince; were I just another servant, would you want me?"

"You even need to ask?" you scoffed.

"Then why not now?"

"Why allow myself suffer? Why let us? We cannot be allowed Loki, and what makes it more painful is you too are intelligent enough to know it. They will never allow it. You will have to marry for reasons other than love, which is the agonising tragedy of your life."

"But I love you." He seemed almost childish in the manner in which he said it, leaning his forehead against yours.

"I know." You acknowledged; sighing at the pain it was causing to say such a thing. "I wish it was not so."

"You cannot leave."

"I cannot stay." You tried to push him back. "It is only going to cause us more harm."

"No, please, I won't try and kiss you again, I will not speak of this again, I will pretend it did not happen." He rambled.

"Loki…"

Loki's eyes widened and his breath caught in him. "Please say my name again."

"Loki?" You repeated, slightly confused.

"I was never overly fond of my name until I heard it on your lips just now."

"You are surprisingly romantic." You noted.

"You have no idea." He smiled in return. "Please, please stay."

"Here, I can only be something for you to lust over."

"I will lust regardless." He admitted.

"You do not know that; perhaps you would find a suitor."

"Perhaps I would be paired with a bilgesnipe on its hind legs?"

"Loki." You scolded.

"I do not want another, Aesir and Vanir women do not look like you, so they do not appeal to me, and as I said to you before, you are far more honourable and beautiful than the other elves I have encountered, so all I would do is compare them to you, and I can tell you here and now, they would be found lacking."

"This is all a bit mad." You shook your head, wondering how you went from playing cards to having the prince beg you to be his, something you would allow in an instant, were it not for the very real issue of its illicit nature.

"From what I have read, is it not supposed to be? To love another more than your very self by its nature is madness, it overrides self-preservation." He argued.

"Have you not experienced it before?" you asked curiously.

"No, only familial love, not wanting any harm to befall my parents or brother, but this." He played with your hair. "Not this."

"We cannot…"

"Why not?"

"You know why." You gave him an angered look. "It will inevitably end up in tears, you will be wed off, and I will have to leave."

"No, you would not."

"You think I would remain and watch you have a family with another woman? You could not possibly want that if you truly love me."

"I cannot be forced to marry, for I am not to be king, I would take no one else." He stated plainly.

"It is not that simple."

"Fine, then due to my saving King Njall, he owes me a great boon, which I would use to demand I be given residence on Alfheim, where I would bring you and none would ever find us." He grinned.

"I cannot allow that." you shook your head.

Loki frowned, "Whyever not?"

"Because then you would realise there are actually beautiful elves and I would be cast aside for one."

Loki growled almost like a wild beast before crashing his lips to yours, pulling you up so that neither of you suffered a sore neck from the stark contrast in your heights. It took you a moment to realise what was happening, but when your brain finally caught up with the situation, you kissed him back, allowing your fingers to grip into his thick raven locks as he established his dominance in the kiss.

When he finally pulled back, you looked at him fearfully, expecting him to come to his senses and pull away, but instead, you were looking at his eyes, which were focused solely on you, the green almost fully hidden by dark pupils.

"Never, that can not happen."

"Yes, it can." You argued slightly.

"It never will." He kissed you again before you could argue. "Norn's, if you never had a suitor, how are you so good at this?"

"Kissing?" he made a noise of confirmation. "I…am I?"

"You most certainly are." He grinned.

I think you to be." you confessed coyly.

"Well, though I have had a kiss or two, I am in no way proficient." He smiled playfully, "it would seem we were made for one another." He stated, before kissing you once again.


	28. Chapter 28

When Wilhelm returned to the rooms in the early evening, he looked around cautiously before entering, noticing that Loki was not to be seen and that you were, for some reason, asleep in the prince's bed. For a while, he had been concerned as to what would occur between you and Loki in his absence, but; knowing you both so well, he knew you were well able to hold your own against the moody prince. He decided to organise the room somewhat while you continued to rest.

"Are you always this noisy or are you doing this in spite, because if it is the latter, I hate you; and if it is the former then I pity Anna already and feel a sisterly duty to forewarn her." You groaned against the pillow.

"Does Loki know you are after taking over his bed?" Wilhelm retorted.

"Bed?" you pulled back slightly, only to see that indeed you were in the prince's bed. "How ?"

"Not your doing, so I take it?" Wilhelm chuckled at your bewilderment, you shook your head. "Then Loki probably placed you there so." He speculated. "Was he in better form when he left?" you nodded, glad that you were half hidden by the pillow to prevent him seeing you blush. "How did you manage that?"

"I simply deduced what the issue was that was angering so and placated it." You explained plainly.

"And dare I ask what it was that irked him today?"

"Prospective candidates for the position as his significant other."

"Ah!" Wilhelm explained. "That makes a great deal of sense."

"After that, it was a simple case of allowing him to rant of injustices and of how life is unfair. He simply needs an audience on some occasions."

"And in you at present, he has a captive one, you lucky thing." Wilhelm jested.

"How is Anna?"! Wilhelm paused from fluffing the cushions he had been working on, his face reddening slightly as he swallowed. "She is well then, I can assume?"

"She is." He confirmed.

"What?" you asked, eyeing him carefully, knowing from his demeanour that something was plaguing him. "Tell me." You encouraged.

"I am being hounded to ask her to join my family again for dinner; my mother is almost unbearable regarding it."

"And? That is a good thing, is it not?" you failed to see the issue. "Surely, if your mother likes her, that is a good thing?"

"I am not so sure I can."

"Why not?"

"Well, my brother…"

"Broderick, what of him?"

"I am concerned."

"With regards?"

"He has been teasing me greatly with regarding Anna."

"Because she is an elf?" Wilhelm nodded. "What does it matter, so long as it is mere teasing, all you need to do is forewarn her of his idiocy, that way she can silence him with a witty retort."

"But what if she becomes upset or offended by him, what if she does not realise he actually adores her and is only doing this to make my life as awkward as he can for his own amusement?"

"On the day she is to join your family again, fill you two terrors of nieces with sweet confectionaries. Have it that they are beyond controlling, so then he is too busy to have time to annoy her."

"Girlie, you are utterly conniving," Wilhelm smirked. "That is beyond cruel and diabolical."

"Do you honestly think I would let anyone thwart my friend's happiness?"

"Aw, thanks, Girlie."

"I was referencing Anna; I am still not after forgiving you for your actions earlier." You growled.

"Hey, I said sorry."

"No; you did not, you simply explained it away." You corrected.

"So, Loki has a tell in poker?"

"Do you honestly think I would ever tell you now?" you asked in disbelief.

"Girlie!"

"You have betrayed my fragile little trust." You exclaimed in a tiny dramatic voice.

"Eh, huh. So when is Loki back?" He asked, getting off the subject.

"I did not know he had even left until you woke me. I am certain he has not gone far. He still wants everyone to believe that his is confined to his rooms and be given his freedoms once more, not even Thor."

"Freedoms?"

You recalled then that Wilhelm had been sent to retrieve the head of the Einherjar when Odin had given Loki permission to find whoever had done this. "The Allfather has told Loki to do anything necessary to find this culprit." You explained.

"I thought he had gone under my guise once more."

"No, he has the Allfather's consent, not that he would have required it."

"Well, that will speed all of this along," Wilhelm commented before sitting at the table you had been playing cards with Loki at before the afternoon explanations. "Let's see what he has taught you."

"Loki?" Frigga walked into her son's rooms without waiting for a reply, she looked at you sitting at his desk, his writing materials in front of you. "Is my son here?"

"No, Allmother." You bowed. "He has gone in search of evidence."

"Tell him, should he return here soon, that he is needed in the Healing Rooms." She stated.

"Of course, Allmother." You nodded.

The Queen nodded and turned to leave, but then she turned to face you once more. "Do you recall any of the Healer's Rooms that tended to you after your ordeal?"

"There was only Eir, Allmother." You frowned, the head healer being the only one that ever came to tend to you from the moment you woke, something you had noted but never questioned.

"I see; I hope you are recovering well." She smiled kindly before continuing on her way.

Slightly confused, you simply went back to what you had been doing. For a few hours there was no sign of either Wilhelm or Loki, and after a period, you began to get bored. You had tidied Loki's rooms somewhat, even though you were under strict instruction not to, and had scribbled a short text on some scraps of paper you had found.

"You seem content here." You jumped as you felt Loki come up behind you, "Did I startle you, little one?" he grinned slyly.

"You know well you did." You growled; his response was to chuckle and kiss your neck, causing you to stiffen slightly, something the astute prince noticed immediately.

"You do not wish for me to cease, do you?" he asked, hurt at the mere thought.

"No, it is just…what if someone arrives? Speaking of which, the Allmother came by looking for you."

"Yes, thank you, I was speaking to her not long ago." His tone caused you to turn and look at him.

"What happened?" you asked fearfully.

"Nothing."

"She said you were needed in the Healing Rooms."

"Yes, there was a matter I needed to confirm for her."

"Loki?" he inhaled deeply behind you, his lips against your neck. ""Please, I know you are keeping something serious from me."

"I may never be able to hide something from you, will I?" there was affection in his tone as he spoke. "By chance, did you meet a young healer by the name of Tatiana in your time in the healing rooms, do you recall her?" he asked.

You had to think for a moment, the name was somewhat familiar. "Yes, she got in trouble for being rude to you I think, didn't she? And she had to be punished by having to clean all the bedpans and hand wash all the used sheets, but I never saw her. I just heard her being referenced. What of her?"

"She was found today, hanging in her rooms," Loki stated solemnly.

"She took her own life?" you asked in horror."

"No."

"Then…how?"

"She had been poisoned, and then put in a way to make it seem as though she had taken her own life."

You clasped your hand over your mouth. "How…?"

"That is the concern, I fear things are far more sinister and worse than we thought."

"Meaning?"

Loki pulled you out of the seat and sat down in it himself, before putting you on his lap, curling you into him. "Meaning that whoever hurt you it getting desperate and scared."

"How?"

"There was a note along with poor Tatiana's body, the note stated that she was the one responsible for what had happened to you and that she could not live with her guilt any longer. But you see, the writing, it has been proven, is not in her script, she did not write it."

Even with the fear that Wilhelm or another could enter at any moment and catch you in a highly inappropriate position, you cured in close to Loki, utterly horrified at what he had just told you. Loki, for his part, placed his arms around you, kissing your temple soothingly as you tried to process the information he had bestowed on you, knowing you would be terrified and worried as a result.


	29. Nightmares and Dreams Come True

"Please." You groaned; shaking in terror as your body ached from the abuse it had just suffered. "No."

"You filthy little bitch, it is all your fault." The faceless being in front of you raised their arm, a sharp blade in it, ready to strike. As it began to fall fast towards you, you winced; waiting for the painful blow, but it never came.

"Wake up." A voice called you back, "Come on, that's it, wake up." Loki encouraged. Opening your eyes, you saw the prince's face in front of you, his worry blatant. "It was just a nightmare." He soothed. "It was not real."

"It felt it." You choked out. "Loki, I…" you reached out for him, needing to be close. Not even questioning, he wrapped his arms around you and carried you over to his bed. Startled, you looked at him as he got onto the bed and pulled you into him.

"You just need to feel safe now. No one can harm you if you are this close to me." He smiled encouragingly. It had been almost a month since you had begun staying in the prince's quarters, you had been back at work for the most of it; and in that time, a few peculiar things had happened, but the perpetrator had still not been caught, so Loki was adamant that you remain in his rooms until such time as they were.

"Loki?" he gave a small noise to tell you that you had his attention. "Why is it okay for Prince Thor to do what he wants with maids but he and the Allfather came in here ready to spit fire because of what Rebekkah said?"

Loki sighed in frustration. "I do not know the finer details, but the general premise is that there is one rule for Thor, and another for me."

"What will happen if we are found?"

"I will protect you, no matter what." He swore, pulling you into him tighter. "Just rest, it is all hours of the morning."

"They came back for me, to finish me." You whispered.

"Did you see their face?"

"No, I just hear their voice."

"A female?"

"Yes, how did you…?"

"Poisoning is a woman's favoured method of killing."

"I had not realised."

Loki played with your hair noticing already that it calmed you. "I have been researching a great deal to try and find out for you." He smiled.

"Could it be Rebekkah?" You asked fearfully.

"She is a suspect, yes." He confirmed. "But I am nothing if not meticulous, I will not pounce until my prey is unable to escape." You shuddered slightly against him, not in fear, but because of the way his words made you react. Something Loki noted but said nothing of, instead, he kissed your neck and shoulder gently until you fell asleep in his arms.

Sunlight began to pour into the room, causing you to waken, the nightmare did not return to you when you were sleep in the bed with Loki, his protective embrace taking care of you as you rested. You smiled to yourself for a moment, enjoying the feeling of someone's arms around you, loving the feel of his heart beating as he lay directly behind you, his chest against your back. Still tired, you nestled back to sleep again, when a thought suddenly occurred to you. Your eyes widened and you shot up in the bed.

The room was readied for the day, the curtains opened, the windows ajar, and the sound of Loki's bath running in the other room. Wilhelm was already in Loki's quarters, he had seen you and Loki in bed with one another. "Loki." You whispered frantically.

"Hmm?"

"Wilhelm."

Loki opened an eye before looking around. Sure enough, the room showed signs of the hand servant's hard work. "And?"

"He has seen us." You stated the obvious.

"I do not think he would particularly care." He commented. "He will tell no one."

"This is terrible, I will be sent away, you will be punished." You began to hyperventilate.

Loki sat up in the bed, cupping your face in his hands, forcing you to look at him. "No such thing will happen." He stated adamantly. "I will never permit such a thing."

"But…"

"No buts, you and I will be fine, Wilhelm would never betray us." Terrified you nodded, knowing what he was saying was true; Wilhelm would all but sacrifice himself for either of you. "Come, we are late rising." Loki pulled back the covers and got out of the bed; you followed suit.

Only moments later, Wilhelm came out of the bathroom, his eyes falling on the two of you, his face one of utter shock. "Wilhelm…" you wanted to apologise, though you knew not why you felt it right.

"Oh, Girlie…you're here. I…when…." He commented; his tone one that told you both he was not processing everything properly.

"I have been here all along." You stated, looking at him in concern before glancing at Loki for a moment, the Prince seemed to be as concerned as you were. "Are you alright, Wilhelm?"

"I…Yeah, I am…I think." He mumbled unsurely.

"What happened with Anna, you were supposed to meet her last night, were you not?"

"I…Yeah, Anna…she's…she's…oh, Norn's." he rubbed the sides of his face worriedly.

"What, what is she Wilhelm?" you asked, terrified for your friend.

"Where is she based?" Loki asked.

"Because of the Vanir arriving, I think she said something about the dining room."

"Get dressed and go speak with her," Loki instructed.

You did exactly as instructed, rushing into the bathing room and getting on your chambermaid's uniform before walking out of the room again. Loki had Wilhelm sitting on a chair, trying to get him to say what was wrong. With a single nod from Loki, you walked out of the room and to where you assumed Anna would be.

Just before you got there, you heard an odd noise, almost like someone retching, when you turned to corner, sure enough, there was a maid, being violently ill behind a pillar. Walking closer to see if she was alright, you realised it was Anna. "Anna."

"I made a terrible mess…again." She half sobbed.

"Again? How long have you been ill?" you asked, using your apron to dip into a jug of water she had with her to clean her face.

"A few days, Norn's this is horrible." She groaned.

"Why are you not resting, you are ill, you are allowed to take ill leave." You scolded.

"I cannot."

"Why not?"

"Because I will be off for considerable time then, and I need the money." She explained.

"I do not understand, how would you be so long off…oh." Your eyes went wide. "You are…" you looked at her stomach, knowing then why she was so ill. "And you told Wilhelm?"

"He hates me." She sobbed.

"What! No…Anna, he would never hate you, he loves you so much." You argued.

"He went silent when I told him, he just stood there, open-mouthed." She countered.

"I know." She looked at you. "He is in Loki's rooms now, just standing there like he is under a spell." You explained.

"See, he hates me. He is ruing the day he ever met me." She wept.

"No…Anna, he is just in shock." You soothed, holding her against you. "I have an idea, come with me."

"Where?"

"Well the best way to deal with this is head on, so come on." You dragged her through the palace, back to where you knew her lover would still be waiting, sitting where Loki placed him. Sure enough, when you got there, he was in the seat, though Loki's demeanour told you that he had been able to extract the source of Wilhelm's peculiar behaviour from him.

Wilhelm raised his head as though sensing he should, his eyes widened at seeing Anna in front of him. "Anna…"

"Is under the impression you hate her, do you?" You demanded bluntly.

"What?" Wilhelm looked between the two of you, "No, never."

You turned to Anna. "See, I told you."

"Then why…?" Anna asked fearfully.

"Why what?"

"She wants to know why you are acting as you are, I maintain it is shock since clearly this is not planned." You explained.

"I…I just didn't think we would…not before I…"

"Before what?" Anna was frightened of the answer he would give.

"Are those the clothes you wore last night?" you asked, looking at Wilhelm's attire, clearly too good for working as a hand servant in. He nodded. "Well then, I assume she told you before you asked her?" He nodded again. "Well then, get on with it. Norn's you two are aging me." You sighed in exasperation. When Wilhelm did not move, you sighed dramatically and dragged him to his feet before pushing him over to Anna.

"What is she talking about?" Anna asked.

"I am not angry, or frightened, well no, I am actually terrified, but not in a bad way, I just want to get this right, but I cannot even do things in the right order," Wilhelm explained.

"Stop rambling." You interjected, standing next to Loki again, the Prince looking at you with a small smile on his face.

"Right…yeah. I am in shock Anna, but happy shock, I want this." He continued.

There came new tears to Anna's eyes, though this time, there was a smile with them. "Really?"

Wilhelm smiled back, his own eyes filled with tears. "Yes, and before you think I am only doing this because of the baby, I am not, Girlie has been helping me with this for nearly a month, getting it just as you would like, she did reconnaissance on everything for me stealthily."

You leaned toward Loki and spoke from the side of your mouth. "I have, I really have." Loki shook his head and forced himself to try to not laugh.

Wilhelm reached into his pocket and took out a beautifully carved wooden box. "I have this made for you." He stated, handing it to Anna. "Apparently this is the design most elfin women prefer." Anna took the box and studied it. It was of a medium dark wood, and the carvings were expertly painted to show beautiful leaves on it. "Open it." He whispered to her. Anna looked at him cautiously for a moment before finding the clasp to open it before doing so, her eyes widening when she did, looking at him slightly confused. "I know on Alfheim, you do not have such things, but on Asgard, when you ask a woman to marry you, if she accepts, she places this on a certain finger, to signify she is betrothed. I planned on asking you last night, but when you told me about the baby, I completely forgot. I am not asking now because of the baby, I wanted to ask before. I wanted you as my wife for some time now Anna, and with the baby coming, I want it even more now." he smiled. "So, Anna Evansdottir, will you do me the immense honour, of allowing me be your husband?" Anna was in complete shock at what Wilhelm was telling her, could not respond verbally, simply nodded, causing Wilhelm to hug her against him. "I will take care of both of you, I swear it." He stated before kissing her.

Loki was not one for too much affection, smiled happily for his friend before looking down at you next to him. "Well, that went well."

"It is so romantic." You commented.

"It is." He agreed, noting an odd look on your face.

"Nauseatingly so." You looked around for a moment before heading towards the bathing room.

"Where are you going?"

"To wash this moment off me." You replied.

Wilhelm shook his head. "Why do you not look surprised?" Loki asked, looking at him.

"She has been threatening to be sick every time we have been planning this for the most of the month," Wilhelm answered. "Girlie is about as romantic as a soldier's mess hall." Loki chuckled slightly.

"Introductions Wilhelm, where are your manners, I will tell your mother." You commented, coming out of the bathroom again.

"Right, Norn's." Wilhelm self-chastised. "Anna, this is, as you know, Prince Loki of Asgard, and Loki, this is Anna, my fiancé and the mother of my child." He stuttered for a moment, the pride in his voice as he said the latter half of the introductions making it obvious how elated he was at it.

Loki walked forward and smiled warmly. "Lady Anna, needless to say, I have heard endless good things about you, these two do nothing but sing your praises." He commented, extending his hand and kissing the back of hers.

"Likewise Your Highness; though you do not require it, I have to thank you so much for looking after two of the most important people in my life so well, they do nothing but sing yours also." She beamed. "I also wish to apologise for the delay this has all had on your morning routine."

"To see Wilhelm and the woman he cares for so greatly so happy, I think waiting a few more moments for breakfast is a small sacrifice." He grinned in return.


	30. The Market

You were humming to yourself as you made your way through the market, thinking about what you needed to prioritise in your purchasing needs. The loss of two months of salary had hit you hard, delaying the buying of a few things you had wanted, but worrying about it was not going to get you what you needed, you could only move on. You had a roof over your head and food on the table, so a few trinkets and clothes could be delayed.

Somewhat in your own mind, you walked between the stalls, your arms ladened down with a few garments you had gotten yourself, but also two purchases Loki asked you to get, the reasons behind which, he had not told you yet, but you gathered could be linked soon to some act he would perform. The weight in your arms was becoming a bit too heavy, so though you wanted to look at more, you decided it best to return to the palace. Sighing in slight annoyance, you turned and headed back.

Cursing the weight of everything in you hands, you felt them ache at their burden. When you recognised the hair and build of a man not too far away, you were relieved, so grabbing what you had; you rushed forward until you were just behind him. "I know you are a busy man, but you think you would give an elf a hand." You joked. The man paused before turning around, and you felt yourself become red with embarrassment. "I am so sorry, I thought you were my friend." You apologised.

"Wilhelm?" he guessed, you nodded. "I am told often he and I look similar from behind, the curse of similar genetics, I suppose." He grinned, looking you up and down. "Let me guess, the famous 'Girlie'."

You nodded, "And you must be Broderick."

"I am he, indeed." He bowed slightly, his smile very similar to Wilhelm's. Looking at him, you could see very similar features in the brother's faces, but still, there were enough differences to tell both men apart. "I believe I owe you a cursing, though." You frowned. "I was told it was you that suggested he riddle Tyra and Rhea with confections."

You bit your lips, but you could not control your snigger. "I believe you do, however, I believe I also owe you a ridiculing for your comments on Light Elves and our appearances."

Broderick's mouth hung open for a moment before he shut it again, while you smiled knowingly at him. "It appears my brother talks too much."

"If he is willing to hang me to you, he is surely willing to hang you to me."

The man laughed. "And he would hang us all to our mother."

"How is she?" you asked.

"Well, very much so now that her second son is to be wed."

"I can imagine that, to a mother, nothing is more soothing to the soul as knowing your sons have found two fools to tend to them." You smiled.

"Broderick erupted into bellowing laughs at that statement. "Norn's, you are hilarious, I beg you, please allow me to accompany you for as long as is possible. Do you need a hand with this?" he indicated to your load.

"Honestly, normally I would say no, but there is too much here, I was hoping you were your brother so I could abuse him into giving me a hand." You admitted.

"Well between you and me, I am stronger than my little brother." He leant down slightly, as though it was some great secret.

"You would want to be, after all, you are a farrier. There is a substantial difference between Wilhelm carrying Loki's armour four feet and you having to try and get a horse to not fall over as you deal with its hoof."

"You see, I say that to my idiot brother, but you think he listens?" Broderick declared loudly as you walked along. "I heard how you pretty much had to propose to Anna for Wilhelm." He snickered.

She gave him a look that quietened him. "Well, all things considered, I was just helping them over that obstacle."

"'Obstacle'?" he looked at her curiously.

Realising that Broderick had not yet been informed of Anna's condition; she decided to alter the conversation. "Yes, I mean, after that foul wench that hurt him before, poor Wilhelm was nervous, I, knowing how Anna felt for him, simply encouraged him."

On hearing of Wilhelm's ex-lover, Broderick's lip flickered up in contempt. "Yes, that…wench." He growled, clearly thinking of worse words for her in his head. "She nearly destroyed him, if it were not for Prince Loki; he would probably have ended up in the dossers' house, drunk as can be."

"So all of your taunting of Anna…?" you asked, slightly startled at what Broderick had told you.

"Norn's, I adore that girl. I could not be happier for them. He knows I am merely jesting. She makes him happy, she is nothing but lovely to my girls and mother adores her." He smiled. "I…I only say that because that is what brothers are for. When I started courting Elina, he was nothing short of a thorn in my side about her, but the first argument we had, he did not rest until he aided me apologise for my part in it, and got her to calm enough to even consider listening to me. I am truly lucky to have him as a brother."

"You just ridicule one another at every possible opportunity." You added.

"We are siblings; it is merely how it is done, surely with your own…"

"I have never been gifted a sibling, well I was, but the Norn's took him back two days after he was born." You stated sadly.

Broderick cleared his throat nervously. "Norns, I am sorry, had I known…"

You smiled up at him. "You could not possibly have."

"And what of you; have you found yourself a suitor in your time here?"

"I fear that perhaps Anna may have snared the final good eligible man in Asgard." You sighed.

"I like how instead of merely saying 'good man' you inserted the word 'eligible'." Broderick chuckled.

"I know my audience."

"Dare I ask, is there another name you go by, or is my brother's nickname as good as your given one now?"

"I often forget I have a real name, Wilhelm seems adamant that I forget it."

Broderick chuckled. "He nicknamed the twins too, honestly, I forget to use their actual names when calling them some days. I cannot wait for those two to be wed and return the favour."

"Yes, well I am sure it will not be too long, I know Anna is adamant that our friend Mya be there, but she is busy at the moment, some big Vanir Lord and his family are here and they have more children than we have had hot meals."

"Is she a nurse maid?"

"Yes, so she is very much busy at present. As soon as they leave, she and I will assist Anna in every manner to get this done and dusted."

"You do not sound overly pleased with that," Broderick noted.

"I think weddings themselves are overly ridiculous and stressing, it is the marriage that matters, and I know that that is all Wilhelm and Anna are truly yearning for also." You explained.

"You are very much a realist."

"I do not like to pretend things are anything but what they are." You shrugged, coming to a halt at the palace gates. "It has a been a great pleasure speaking with you Broderick, and I look forward to our meeting again." You smiled.

"Likewise." He bowed slightly. "I can see why my brother is so happy to have you as his workmate, you are clearly good company. I will no doubt see you again for the wedding." He handed you back all that he had taken to carry.

"No doubt." You smiled. "Good day." You curtsied politely and readied yourself before walking on.

"Still not dead?" you groaned internally on hearing Rebekkah's irksome voice.

"No, not yet, sorry to tell you." You did not even turn to look at her. "How are the soldier's quarters, I can only imagine the state of them now there is only your pathetic hide cleaning them. I hear they are envious of pigs."

"It was your doing. I knew you were whoring yourself to that pathetic second rate…"

"Considering I know what men in the palace you were serving, you getting sanctimonious about my supposed 'relations' with Prince Loki is somewhat laughable." You turned and looked at her with disgust. "I think it is safe to say that to lay with the prince, be he the older or younger, is far more prestigious than…uh," you tried to hold back your laughter. "Cedric the Crude." Saying the name of the man made you spit out a laugh. The man in question was nigh on the age of the Allfather and as fat as he was old. His manner would be accused of being rude in the presence of farmyard animals "I…actually, I have to commend you, to not heave when kneeling in front of that with your mouth open; that, that is something of a supernatural talent." Rebekkah's nostrils flared and her face went puce with her anger. "Now excuse you, but I have to make my way back to my Prince."

"He will never be allowed have you as his wife." She spat, her face gleeful. "The day is coming; that you will have to serve him as he marries someone, tidy his sheets after he beds her, you will even have to be in the room when she births his greasy haired spawn, and know that any half-bred bastard you give him will never be his heir." Her face was smug as she finished her ridicule.

Inside, your heart pounded painfully, knowing full well that as much as you wished to dismiss her, there was truth in Rebekkah's words. Loki could never truly be yours, nor you his, and even though you never considered the risk of perhaps carrying his child in the future, should you actually lay with him in that manner, it was true, he could never acknowledge one as his, it would have to be raised as such. "Really Rebekkah, you think you can transfer your bitterness to me?" you scoffed, praying that the pain her words caused you were not visible on your face. "I do not care for titles or finery, I care for only happiness, and thankfully for me, I find my happiness in places you do not, but then again, it is hard to find happiness scrubbing the piss pots of soldiers. Tell me, have you made you way around the entire barracks yet, or are you doing it building by building?"

Livid, she shook with rage. "I hope whoever wants you dead does it soon, they deserve a medal." She stormed off, leaving you to stand with a few people eyeing you from the side as they pretending to not have listened to your exchange with the other woman. Taking another deep breath so to compose yourself as much as you could, you headed back towards the palace.

You put your new purchases in your rooms; though Loki still insisted you remain in his rooms by night, the pretence was now that you were back on your own, so a copy of you, conjured by the prince, entered them each evening, so to give the illusion you were there once more. After everything was tidied away, you made your way to the kitchens to get some food before heading back to Loki's rooms with what he had asked you to get.

When you came to the front area of them, you sensed a terribly tense atmosphere. Cautiously, you walked on, only for the door to open and for Wilhelm to emerge, looking unhappy. "Girlie, you are back. How was a market?"

"Fine." You looked at him warily, noting the manner he was trying to hide. "I met Broderick."

"My brother?"

"No, a dog, of course, your brother. He helped me back to the palace with my goods, where I then met Rebekkah, who was less than pleasant as usual." He only nodded quietly. "What is going on Wilhelm?"

"Wilhelm, when…" Loki came to the front of the rooms, he eyes focusing on you. "Oh, you are back, good. Wilhelm, I am sure you and your fiancé have much to discuss, considering, go deal with that, I have everything I need for now."

"Of course." Wilhelm nodded and gave a grimace of a smile before leaving.

Wilhelm had never mentioned the day he saw you and Loki in each other's arms in the bed, and since then, you ensured it never happened that he see you again. The shock of Anna telling him of the baby meant he did not seem to even realise what was in front of his own eyes that day. To the best of your knowledge, he was blissfully unaware of the situation between you.

"Actually, take the evening off. I will require nothing more of you."

"Of course," Wilhelm stated solemnly, leaving the room.

"I got everything you needed." You held up the parcels, not understanding what was going on, bringing them into his bed quarters and placing them on his desk. Turning around, you were shocked to see him right behind you, his facial expression was one you had never seen on him before. "Loki?"

His flicked his wrist, locking all the doors and windows to his quarters, and attacked your lips reverently. "Please, just…please."

For a week, Loki had hinted wanting more in your relationship, having shared his bed, but never your bodies. He made it clear, there was never any forcefulness in his hints, but he was interested and wanted to make that known. In truth, you were as eager but were scared, of your ability, or lack of, as well as the very concerning issue of being caught. But the manner Loki begged, his voice filled with lust, you felt your resolve dissipate, and pulled at his tunic, barely whispering the word 'yes' as you kissed him again.


	31. Chapter 31

Waking during the night, you recalled your previous evening's activities and smiled to yourself. Remembering Loki's loving words, recalling how he relished every part of your body, his lips caressing your skin, every brush of them done as though in reverent, you smiled. But then the smile fell from your face, because you recalled the tension in the room on your arrival, the look in his eyes in seeing you, you realised then the look he gave; desperation. For what, you did not know, but one thing was guaranteed, it was not good.

Between your legs ached, for hours Loki focused on that area that you never truly paid too much heed to before the muscles in your abdomen and thighs were sore and stiff due to the manner in which they seized with every time he made her feel she had died and gone to Valhalla. You would be a sight for the day as you would try to walk around getting work done, and you knew it.

"You are thinking so much, I can almost hear your thoughts," Loki grumbled sleepily, his arm pulling you close to him again. "We have a little time left before we need rise. Get some more rest."

"Loki?" He made a small noise to indicate he was listening. "What is going on?" You were fearful of the answer he would give you, but you felt as though you needed to ask.

Loki gripped you tightly against him. "We will talk about it in the morning."

"Is it that bad?" you knew from his tone alone that it was.

"Please," you thought he would become angered, but the manner in which he said that one word told you he was trying to control his own upset.

"Are you being sent away for a time?" you tried to not let your heartache show.

"No."

"Loki?" you pressed again. Loki's response was to turn you around and pulled himself over you as he had done hours before as he took you.

"I love you." He kissed you passionately. "I would kill and die for you." He leaned down and kissed you again.

His declaration startled you, his conviction clear in the way his green eyes stared into yours, trying to convey his thoughts as best he could. "So it is that bad." It terrified you how his eyes seemed to becoming more of a window, showing more and more of his inner turmoil. "I love you, Loki." You had not admitted it in such a way before, and on hearing your announcement, he pressed his lips to yours again, as though trying to merge you both as one. Sensing his urgency, you slipped your hands to his ass, telling him you wanted hi once more; he obeyed willingly.

You had fallen asleep again after you had shown your love for one another again, exhausted; yet somehow, not fully sated. In truth, you felt as though you could lay with Loki for millennia and still not tire of being with him.

The sound of pounding on Loki's front room doors woke you with a start, "Loki?"

"Ignore it."

"I better get dressed." You extracted yourself reluctantly from his grasp and winced as you got out of the bed; your already aching limbs aching all the more after your second time together.

"You are hurt." Loki shot up in the bed, looking at you fearfully. "Why did you not tell me that I had harmed you?"

"I am merely tender," you dismissed. "My muscles have never had such a working before."

Loki looked to where you had been sleeping next to him in the bed. "I was led to believe that women bled terribly after they lay with a man for the first time."

"A common misconception." You explained. "Some do, but it is never anything excessive apparently, but being active can cause what is known as the maidenhead to rupture also." There were more attempts to open his doors. "Who is that?" you asked fearfully.

"I think it to be my parents." He replied in annoyance.

Your eyes widened, "What will we do?"

"Nothing, I am not in any mood to receive them, much less listen to anything they have to say." He looked over your body lustfully once again. "Here." He got out of the bed and walked over to his healing supplies. "Drink this, it will aid with the aching." He smiled fondly, a hint of pride in his voice. Immediately, the aching began to subside.

"Thank you." You smiled gratefully. He came over and kissed you; the action caused you to recall Rebekkah's cruel words the evening before. "Loki, do you have anything to prevent what happened to Anna and Wilhelm happening us?"

Loki frowned, but before he could say anything, hr winced painfully. Startled you dropped the vial he had given you to check on him, but he took a step back and waved his hand, dressing you in your work attire before getting himself into some informal wear. "Act as you normally would." He instructed. Nodding, you did as told and went to start organising the bed. A moment later, the Allfather and Allmother entered the room.

"This petulant behaviour will do you no favours Loki," Odin growled.

"It will not come to pass," Loki stated with authority.

"You are a prince; you knew there was a likelihood of this happening." Odin countered.

"But I am not the first born, I am not to be king, there is no great obligation for me to ever do so. I do not wish to be wed." he snapped.

You swallowed hard. He had been chosen a wife; that was why everything had changed.

"Do not be foolish boy. You need heirs. Should Thor ever been killed before he sires a son, you become king, you and your line," he growled. "Asgard needs to know its royal family is strong, that it is able to continue, no matter what."

"Marry him first then," Loki half pleaded, "Get him to get a wife with child, I do not want this."

"Darling, Thor is to be wed when we find the right woman for him, in due course. You are not to be wed for some time yet." Frigga explained. "Lady Alana is from a very good family."

"Lady? She is a child!" he shouted, "Can one so young even bear the title of lady, much less children. You are adamant I carry on the family line, I would wager she is nowhere near even beginning to bleed."

"You would think you would be grateful. You have three centuries left before she comes of age to do as you please, and when you do marry, she is young. Most men of high birth are terrified that they will have the cast off old maid of a house, you are getting one that will have many years to give you children." Odin sighed in irritation.

"I would rather spend the rest of my years serving on the front with Muspelheim than marry that vapid little terror." Loki hissed. "Did you think I would not hear of her and her attitude? I know that she is as unintelligent as she is spoiled."

"She will mature with time Darling, as you said, she is young yet." Frigga consoled.

"You could act happier regarding this Loki," Odin commented.

"No, I really could not." He retorted. "I will fight this until you relent. I will not marry that brat."

"Why do I sense that Lord Eamonn is having the exact same conversation with his daughter in his home at this very moment?" Odin grumbled.

You fled to the bath chambers to get away from what was being said during the argument, fleeing the words that you could not bear hearing any longer. When Loki came into the room in search of you, you did not look at him or acknowledge him in any manner.

"I had wanted to tell you myself."

"So you avoided telling me at all, you said nothing." You continued to not look at him.

"How was I to tell you?" He challenged. "I love you, I do not want this." You said nothing in return. "When I was told of their plans, I swore I would leave and never return before I would ever consider marrying her." Again you remained silent, straightening the bath supplies. "Please, say something; anything."

"I met Rebekkah yesterday, she knew of it, she spat it at me, gleefully I might add. I just did not realise what she was referring to." You folded a towel and placed it where it needed to be.

"Do you regret what we have done?"

you finally looked at him, seeing the pain and fear in his eyes. "Yes," you nodded. he looked as though you had torn his heart out of his chest. "Because now I love you even more. I got to have you in the most intimate way a woman can have a man, I gave you my purity, and now we have to part. Why, why did you want to do it if this is all that was going to happen?"

Loki swallowed. "Because I love you. Because I wanted my first time to be with you, the woman I love. I wish I would only ever have you."

"Well, it cannot be. We need to end this now."

"But…"

"I will not lie with another woman's husband-to-be." you stated in no uncertain terms.

"She is only a child."

"But she is your fiancé nonetheless."

"Please…"

"I need you to concoct something that ensures I do not come to bear child if you cannot do so, I need to know so I may go to the healers." He did not respond. "I need to know Loki; I cannot come to carry a half-bred royal bastard."

Loki's upset turned to shock and anger. "What did you just say?"

"I said I cannot come to carry a half-bred royal bastard." You repeated. "That would be what any child I could ever give you could only ever be Loki, do not try to pretend otherwise. You could never be allowed to acknowledge an child I could come to give you and my being an elf would make any only some half-breed. It is hard to say it, but on that front, Rebekkah speaks only the truth."

"You are quoting that filthy harlot?" he shook in anger.

"Where is the lie, Loki?" you challenged, your own anger rising.

"They would not be…"

"We are not like Anna and Wilhelm Loki, there is no 'happy ever after' for you and I." you stated sadly and factually.

Loki winced at your words. It was true; there could be no such happiness for you both. "It's not fair." His voice small.

"I know." You concurred, your own heart breaking at it.

"If you wish, I will brew it."

"Please." You gave a sad smile.

"I have never had to brew something of that sort before, give me the morn; I want to ensure it is safe for you."

"Thank you." You looked around, feeling somewhat claustrophobic. "I need to get out of here."

Loki's eyes widened. "What?"

"I just need to go get some air." You explained.

"Do you hate me?"

You scoffed. "I could never hate you."

"If I told you what was happening before, would you still have done it?"

You looked at him sadly. "Yes, and before you ask, yes, I would still regret it, because you are the one I want, but also the one I cannot have and doing that with you is so angering because I want nothing else." You explained, leaving the room and Loki standing silently watching you go.

You made your way to the private stairwell and rushed to your room. When you got there, you curled up on the bed, putting the pillow over your face and allowed yourself to wallow in self-pity. As you focused on your despair, you failed to notice another enter the room, reaching for a blade on their belt, their eyes focused on the location of where your heart would be in your chest.


	32. Chapter 32

Loki looked at his reflection in the mirror, not able to stop thinking about what you said, how you regretted it, and in turn, regretting how much you loved him. He felt conflicted, you had said you would still have done it, regardless of whether you had known before or not, but then you went on to say you would regret it anyway, leaving him utterly confused.

He turned when he heard the door opening again, hoping against hope you were there, but his hope died quickly when Wilhelm walked in. "Dare I ask?" Wilhelm walked over to his friend.

"I cannot do this."

"I know it seems bad Loki, but it could be far worse." Wilhelm tried to console. "She is to come here to you; you still have your home."

"If I told you that you were to be wed to another and not your beloved Anna, would you see any good in that?" Loki challenged angrily.

"What are you speaking of? Anna carries my child, and I love her. Why would I have to marry another?" Wilhelm asked in confusion before his jaw fell open and his eyes went wide. "You and Girlie." He realised. Loki did not deny it, and in doing so, confirmed it. "My mind was not playing tricks on me." At that, Loki frowned at him. "The morning after Anna told me of the baby, I do not remember the most of, but on occasion, I thought I dreamt of you and Girlie, curled up in bed, together. I did not dream that, did I?"

"I love her."

"Loki…" Wilhelm stated sympathetically.

"What am I to do, I finally have felt her against me last night, and now she states that because I am to be betrothed, she is unable to allow us anymore."

"Well, she is honourable." Wilhelm acknowledged. "Wait, what do you mean finally? Did you lie with her for the first time after you told her?"

"I did not tell her, she found out when my parents arrived this morning and…hey." Loki fell to the floor, holding his cheek, shocked that Wilhelm had punched him. "What in the Nine?"

"You take her purity, knowing you were to be married off and without telling her, you are an ass of the highest order," Wilhelm growled. "How dare you?"

"Hey…"

"You have some nerve, what of her now, clearly she was not just in this for some foolish fun, and you did this to her."

"Wilhelm…" Loki's own anger was starting to grow, causing him to want to fight back against his hand servant and friend.

"Go to Hel, Loki," Wilhelm growled, turning on his heels.

"Where are you going?" Loki demanded in a challenging manner.

"To talk to my friend, to see how much she is hurting from you and your actions." He snarled back.

Loki wanted to say something to him, but in truth, he knew you needed the Wilhelm more than he did at that time, so he went to Thor to argue with him, needing to vent his anger somehow.

"Girlie, can I come in?" Wilhelm knocked on the door, "I just want to see if you are alright." There was no response, so he pushed open the door and looked in. as soon as he saw the bed, his eyes widened. "Guards! Someone, anyone; call the Einherjar!" he bellowed loudly, startling every other member of staff that could hear him into coming, before looking into your small room for themselves and gasping at the ghastly sight in front of them.

Thor looked at his brother bored, not overly interested in his sibling at that time as he entertained his friends. "Loki, to what do I owe this…UFH." Loki took large strides over to his brother, punching him hard in the stomach as soon as he reached him; the Warrior's simply staring in shock at what they were witnessing. "What in the…Loki!" again, Loki struck him, but as he went for a third strike, Thor defended himself. "What is wrong with you brother?"

"Fight me," Loki demanded.

"What has gotten into you?" Fandral asked, trying to hold Loki back with Hogun, Volstagg using his bulk to prevent the brothers from clashing once more.

"Loki, what is the meaning of this?" Thor repeated. His response was Loki throwing both warriors to the side before ducking out of Volstagg's reach and going for Thor once again. Thor was baffled as to the reason behind Loki's actions, noting how at no stage, did he use his seidr against them, instead, using his fists and demanding a physical fight, something the smaller prince would never do. Scared by his out of character behaviour, Thor became more and more concerned. "Brother, whatever is causing this, just tell me, I can help you."

"It is all your fault." Loki's eyes brimmed with tears from anger and hurt as he lunged for Thor once again. "If you would only do what you are supposed to. You are supposed to get married and have brats, you wanted to be King so badly, that is the downside of that deal. But me, I was supposed to be allowed my freedom from such stupidity." He roared, as time and again Thor fought against his attacks, his anger causing him to not be as strong or as accurate as the older prince was used to, causing it to be simple enough for Thor to thwart him.

"Wait, this is because you are to wed Lady Alana?" Thor realised. "Brother, she is not old enough yet, you have nothing to concern yourself with for some time to come." He tried to calm Loki. "Much can happen in three hundred years."

"You do not get it you stupid fool; I would rather die than be part of this." Loki became more enraged. "I lost her, because of this."

"'Lost her' Lost who brother?" Thor half demanded. "Why did you say nothing of having someone?"

"It was no one's concern but my own." Loki reached for his boot, taking out one of his daggers and made for Thor again.

The warriors' had decided that Loki's actions were simply because he was trying to release some pent up anger, much like Thor was prone to doing in training, and had stepped back, seeing that Loki's rage had caused him to be sloppy at best, making him easy for Thor to deflect, but on seeing the dagger, they sprung into action once again, all trying to safely get Loki to calm down.

"Loki." Thor eyed the blade in horror, seeing that Loki was too far gone in some form of pain, anger and anguish combined to think straight. "Brother, I can help you, we can go to father together, and we can sort this. Nothing is official, it can be reversed." Thor took a moment of weakness on Loki's behalf to lunge forward and wrap himself around his brother, bear hugging him from behind so to prevent him from harming anyone.

"There is no reversing the damage this has caused. I have lost her, how can you not get this?" Loki's tears flowed fast and heavy as he spoke through gritted teeth. "She is…she will not…"

Much to Thor's relief, his anguish was beginning to outweigh his anger, and the latter began to dissipate, he began to cease struggling. "Brother, so long as this woman is alive and well it can be fixed, we need but speak with our parents, and we can fix this." He stated calmly. "Please, Loki, peace." He let go ever so slightly so that Loki could see he meant to let go of him. Loki did not move, so Thor released him.

He slumped to the floor, dropping the blade as he did so. "I have lost her, the look on her face; she will not want me again." His voice was low and eerily calm; he accepted it to be the truth.

"Come, brother, come with me, we will speak with mother and father, all is not lost. There is no agreement yet in place, this can be mended." Thor got to his feet and offered Loki his hand. "Come."

"There is no point," Loki stated in defeat. He looked at the blade on the floor.

Thor noted the look on his face and the object of his fixation. Immediately, he stepped over to it and took the dagger in his hand. "Loki, I do not know what is at play here, but whatever it is, you need to cease your train of thought, at once." He gave the blade to Fandral and gave a nod to Volstagg and Fandral, who both stepped forward warily and took the rest of Loki's blades they knew of. "What good can come of all of this if you harm yourself?"

"I would not have to live without her."

Thor bended down to him again trying to get his brother to his feet. "She, whoever she is Loki, is alive to say you speak of her the way you do; ergo taking yourself out of the equation does nothing to fix this. Please brother, cease this madness and come with me to speak with mother and father." Loki began to sob violently, his whole body shaking with each one. The warriors' stared, terrified at what they were witnessing, none knowing what to do; Thor simply held onto him. "Leave us." He ordered. Startled from their stupor, the warriors obeyed, leaving the brothers. "Loki, please, listen to me brother, whoever she is, we will get her back to you."

"I love her Thor, more than I thought possible."

"Then we shall not rest until you are together once more, I swear it on Mjölnir."

It took some time for Loki to calm enough to even consider being able to use his magic again and straightened himself up. He said nothing to Thor with regards his behaviour, nor did Thor make mention of it as he waited silently for him to ready himself. When they were prepared, they left the room, startled to see commotion outside as guards rushed up and down stairwells and through the hallways.

The Warrior's Three were speaking with one of the more senior Einherjar nearby, causing the princes to go to them. "What is afoot?" Thor demanded as soon as they were close enough.

"My Princes." The guard bowed. "I fear I come bearing bad news."

"What is it Mikhail, tell us." Thor hastened.

The guard looked to Loki, "Your maid…" he began.

Loki did not know what he said after that, he only thought of you, and blew through any in his way; down the private stairwell, he knew led straight to your chambers. When he got to the hallway where you room was, he looked around, Adelaide was weeping in her daughters arms, the younger maid trying to console her, there were other maids he knew to see, as well as several guards, but in amongst them all, right outside your doorway was Wilhelm, looking ashen faced. He made his way to him quickly, ignoring the confused glances from those gathered; he made his way straight to Wilhelm. "What happened?"

"I…I opened the door, and…I…I." Wilhelm began to cry, something Loki had never seen before.

Terrified, he turned and faced the doorway. In truth, he had no idea what he expected to see, part of him thought you may have taken your own life, to see you dead within there, nothing he could think of could be worse than that in his mind, or so he thought. Seeing what it was that Wilhelm had seen when he entered the room. Loki collapsed to the ground in shock, before leaving out a strangled cry of pure agony.

You were not in your rooms, but they were ransacked, feathers from your pillows strewn across the floor, sheets were thrown from the bed, your belongings scattered, but all had one thing in common, there was blood on them, and on the wall close to the door, a bloodied handprint, one that Loki knew from having had you in bed with him hours before, having had it splayed on his chest as you kissed him passionately, was the perfect size for yours.


	33. Chapter 33

In all the years the Allfather had lived in the palace, all four thousand of them, he had never entered the chamber servants' hallway, until that day, accompanied by his wife and several Einherjar. Those gathered parted silently, watching as he passed. When Frigga saw Thor standing at the doorway of one room, she walked forward, when she saw Loki leaning inside the doorframe, shaking and sobbing, she looked in at the carnage before she stilled and stared in shock.

"What happened?" Odin demanded.

"No one knows Allfather, from what we can gather, there was a five-minute window for this." The Einherjar stated, indicating to around the room.

"Any sign of the maid?"

"None, Sire."

"Is it her blood?" Odin noticed Loki wince painfully as though stuck with a sword as he spoke.

"We believe so, Light Elf blood is a brighter red than our own, and does not darken as it dries." The guard explained.

"How is there blood in the room, but not a trace outside of it, it makes no sense." He snarled, looking at the floor around him.

"We believe the body may have been brought elsewhere, Allfather."

"Well then, lock down the palace, no one in, and no one out until this elf is found," Odin ordered.

"Allfather," Jan stepped forward. "This is just a Light Elf maid you are speaking of."

Odin turned to face the head of his guard. "You are referencing my son's maid, the very one that there have been attempts on before. An attack on his staff is an attack on him, and an attack on my son is an attack on the crown. If I do not protect my staff, then I am not a good king, am I? It is my duty to protect all my realm's people. So cease arguing with me and do as you are told before I have you demoted and someone who can actually follow an order put in your stead." The Allfather's voice increased in volume as he spoke, his anger growing as he did so. Cowering slightly, the Einherjar did as told and went to have his guards do as the king instructed.

"Everyone, I think it is safe to say that your duties are suspended for the rest of the day, please, go to the mess hall and I will have some ale and mead brought to settle you," Frigga instructed to the housekeeping staff that were standing around in different states of upset and shock. The men nodded and gently ushered the women along.

Wilhelm was about to argue to stay, but seeing a tearful Anna standing at the beginning of the hallway, he went to her automatically. "No." she shook her head. "No, it cannot be true, no." he held her close as she wept for her friend.

"Come, you do not need to be here." He stated gently, forcing her away for fear she would see the state of your room. The royal family watched as the pair made their way out of the hallway, saying nothing as they went.

"Loki…" Frigga tried to speak with her son, but Thor caught her attention and shook his head subtly.

"We need to catch this perpetrator immediately," Odin growled. "Two staff killed, and no reason as to why." He looked to Thor. "Find that little rat that used be your maid."

"I already sent two guards to their mess hall for her," Thor stated.

"Good." Odin nodded. "We will need this dealt with today. We need to fine her."

Loki hiccupped as he stared at the scene in front of him. Frigga knelt down and tried to sooth him. "I know you were fond of her, Loki."

"Mother." Frigga looked to Thor. "May I speak with you for a moment." Both parents frowned at their older son, but with a faint nod, she indicated for Thor to walk with her for a moment. "Mother, Loki is nigh on catatonic, he will not be moved. When I came down to see if what Mikhail was saying was true, I heard Loki…mother, the sound he made, it was like nothing I had heard outside of the battlefield."

"What do you mean?"

"His agony, his anguish…Before we came here, he entered my rooms and began fist fighting me in anger and frustration. It took several minutes to even ascertain as to what he was so angry about. What I gathered was that this betrothal has caused him to lose someone he loves, truly loves, and when he heard it was his maid that was harmed…I think the ploy to imply he was interested in her was not some simple rouse to anger whoever was after her."

"He truly loves her." Frigga realised. She whipped her head around to look back the hallway once more, her face filled with sorrow for her son.

"I believe so, yes. He did not say it, he has said nothing, but his actions, they are those of one that has lost the other half of their very being." Thor explained.

"My poor boy." Frigga's voice shook.

"I will not rest until the palace is scoured and she is found," Thor swore.

"Having seen battle my son, I think you know yourself that the likelihood of finding her alive…"

"Mother, I know I am not looking for my brother's love to reunite them." He stated solemnly. "I am only hoping that I can let him say goodbye to her, to give her a funeral."

Frigga nodded and began to make her way back to Loki. "Very well." She walked on again. When she came to her husband and younger son, she was somewhat shocked to see Odin standing over him, his hand on Loki's shoulder as an attempt to console him. "Darling?"

"You think me unable to see something so clear. I may have only one eye Frigga, but I am not without sight. I know what is at play."

Frigga inhaled deeply, expecting Odin to be angered at their son's love for a lowly maid. "And?"

"We find who did this, and we destroy them," Odin growled, walking off to see what he could find, stopping when Thor came back into the hallway, a look of shock on his face. "What is it?"

"The guards found Rebekkah."

"And? Where is she? Have her brought here at once."

"Her throat has been slit, she is dead." Silence met his words.

Two figures met on a small road on a hillside not far from the palace, between them, a small cart, heavy with its load.

"Were you seen?" one draped in a deep burgundy cape asked.

"No, Milord, and the palace has been sealed, there is no one able to enter or leave for the foreseeable future." The other replied. "I took care of the only one who could link us to this; she was injured in the capture, so I put her out of her misery."

"You have done as asked, here is your reward." The larger help out a small pouch, the sound of coins jingling within telling them of their content. The smaller stepped forward and took the bag, but as they tried to pull back, the larger would not let go, instead of pulling the other forward and grinned evilly as the smaller was forced into a small blade, their eyes widening as it impaled them. "Did you honestly think you were above this fate, you foolish girl, you are simply a little pawn in a game of chess." He sneered as he pulled his blade from her again. She dropped to the ground coughing blood as death began to consume her. Cleaning his blade on the hem of her dress, he put it back in his cloak and went over to the cart. He lifted the tarp that covered the contents and looked in. "Well hello there beautiful, I wonder if you can hear me?" he gave a snarl of a grin. "I fear your little prince will not come to find you, we are too close to the portal and his precious palace is on lockdown for the foreseeable future. We will be long gone by the time he comes to be able to search for you again, and well, you will not be alive for him to find." He took the mule by the reins and forced it forward, knowing that he could take his time, kicking the dead woman out of his way as he did so, causing her to slide down an embankment as he did so.


	34. Chapter 34

Odin paced frantically. "What do you mean there is no sign of her? She has to be here somewhere, there is no other explanation."

"I am sorry Allfather, every nook, every cranny, every passageway has been checked." Jan bowed, knowing his king would be irate.

"And the vault?"

"We have had Prince Thor use his gifts to scour the abyss around it, nothing."

Odin sighed in defeat. "They got out of the palace."

"It would appear so, Sire."

"Have Thor go to Heimdall and see what it is he can see."

"Yes, Sire." The head of the Einherjar bowed and left the King's private rooms.

As he left, Frigga entered. "How is he?"

"He is just staring ahead," Frigga stated. "Odin, should we not find her…"

"She is not in the palace."

Frigga inhaled in shock. "We know this for sure?"

"Sadly, yes."

"What are we to do, she could be anywhere by now?"

"I have sent for Heimdall to scour the realms."

"If any can find her, he can." Frigga nodded. "I will go back to Loki."

"If she is not found?" Frigga frowned at him. "You said 'should we not find her'?"

"Loki…We will lose him."

"Do not be dramatic Frigga."

"Odin, he…he loves her, Loki does not love easily."

"I would never have wanted this to happen, but it could never have been. He has a duty to the realm, she was just a maid." Odin sighed.

"He will be broken after this." Frigga was on the verge of weeping, having witnessed her son and seeing his heartbreak.

Odin rubbed his face in his hands. "We can only hope we can send her to Valhalla, there is no manner for her to survive, you know this, you saw the blood."

"Thor. I wish I could say I am glad to see you." Heimdall did not turn to look at him.

"Where is her body, my friend? I wish to give my brother this much."

"Though you fight each other so aggressively, I often find myself being surprised by your care for one another when needs be. She is alive, Thor; but only barely."

"Tell me."

"There is a portal site, on the hillside behind the city, there is where she was taken, and to Alfheim you are required to travel."

"Alfheim?" Thor looked at him in shock. "Who did this Heimdall?"

"One you have met before, one that bears ill against her."

"Why, though? Why attack a maid."

"I see everything my friend, but sadly I do not hear everything." Heimdall sighed. "So that I cannot tell you. What I can tell you is there is another body left in this carnage." Thor looked at him confused. "Near where she was brought, another body has been left. That of the one who took killed both your old maid and the healer's apprentice."

"There is some justice in that."

"I believe so, but for now, you should focus on the living. Get your warriors; you will need many to help in this search."

"I sometimes wish you were less cryptic, Heimdall," Thor grumbled.

"And I wish I were sometimes able to know as to the reasons behind what I witness, but alas, we cannot have what we wish for simply by wishing for it." The guardian grinned.

"Alfheim?" Frigga stared at her son.

"He is certain?" Odin asked.

"Yes, he said that she apparently knows this foe." Thor recited.

"And the body on the hillside?" Odin asked, taking in what his son was after saying.

"I have sent guards to retrieve it."

"This is all such madness. No one goes to this much trouble for a simple maid." Odin commented. "What do we know about her?" his wife and son just looked at him silently. "Nothing?"

"I have heard from other maids that she was sold into slavery by her father, but reports are differing on it," Frigga stated.

"What?" Thor looked at his mother. "No, that cannot be right."

"The hand servant and that other elf, have them brought here," Odin instructed to his Einherjar. "Take the Warriors and get to Alfheim, speak with King Njall and find her." He told his son, with a nod, Thor left the room. He looked to his wife. "What of Loki?"

"He is in no fit state for anything, he thinks her lost."

Odin shook his head, "Trust that boy to form a connection, not only with a lowly maid but one that is clearly of interest to those it would be recommended not to of interest to." He grumbled.

"If she lives…"

"Frigga, be realistic."

"Thor stated that Heimdall said she lives still." Frigga countered. "I need to tell Loki."

"Absolutely not," Odin demanded. Frigga turned to look at him in shock. "If he were to charge in there not paying heed to the situation he will get himself killed. If he loves her so greatly, he would not think straight. What good is saving her if we lose him? At present he is in no state to assist, so we keep him and indeed as many others as we can; safe."

"He would want to know."

"I am aware Frigga, and Norn's know I wish I could tell him, but we cannot risk him being hurt, you know that. Thor is not as involved, he is the more level-headed one on this occasion."

"Are you actually acknowledging Loki as a good warrior?" Frigga asked in disbelief.

"Usually I would say he is, but not today, he is too invested, he loves her too much, he would not use that cunning mind of his properly." Odin forfeited. Frigga did not argue.

"I found her." Sif declared, dragging the body back up the side of the road and out of the ditch. She threw the body down in front of Thor. "Do you know her?"

"Loki's old maid, Freda. I thought she was allied to Rebekkah."

"Whatever is afoot, there seems to be little loyalty in it," Hogun stated, looking at the corpse. "She is not dead long, her blood pours still."

"Then we must hurry." Thor mounted his horse and directed to where Heimdall had realised there was a portal, the others following suit. The Einherjar took the corpse and threw it on a cart, covering it as they made their way back to the city so not to upset people. Above them, Huginn and Muninn reported their discovery to the Allfather.

"You asked for us Allfather." Wilhelm bowed as he entered the King's private quarters, Anna's hand in his.

"Yes, come in boy. We need to discuss the matter of the chambermaid." Anna sniffed at the reference to you, still not having calmed from hearing the terrible news. "You are close to her, I believe."

"Yes, Allfather. She and I work well with one another but have also formed a close friendship also. I see her as a sister, as does Anna," he indicated to the elf next to him. "They came here together, they are as close as such also."

Odin looked at the other elf. "How did you come to be here?" he asked.

Anna looked nervously at the two monarchs and to Wilhelm, who gave her a small nod to tell her it was alright to speak the truth. "We were sold to one of your staff together Allfather, as maids for your household."

"How did it come to be so, why were you sold?"

"I was orphaned with no income, I know it was either that or starve, but…her father, he…" Anna felt as though she was betraying you saying anything further.

"Her father was a gambler, he gambled everything, including her, he died and his creditors came for their payment, his daughter included," Wilhelm explained.

"I see." Odin was less than impressed. "And her mother?"

"Died years before, she is without family, Sire."

"Did you know the nature of her…"

"Not until today, Sire. Both have kept it very quiet, not showing any signs, not wanting rouse suspicion." Wilhelm stated factually.

"You are for forthcoming with this information that I thought you would be," Odin commented.

"With all due respect Allfather, I walked into one of my closest friends room, the woman I see more often than I do my fiancé, the woman I have to thank for meeting her, and witnessed what I saw, I want whoever did this stopped. I want them to suffer for what they have done." He declared angrily. Anna's hand gripped him tightly. "Forgive me Allmother, but may Anna sit; she is taking this very badly."

"Of course." Frigga ushered the other elf to a chair. "You must be excited for your little one." She smiled kindly. Anna looked at her in shock. "I know that glow anywhere."

"I was," Anna replied, her eyes filled with tears. "We were to…she was helping me…" she began to weep again.

Wilhelm looked fit to go to her side, but Odin asked him more questions. "Loki's previous maid…"

"Freda, what of her…wait has she something to do with this?" Wilhelm half demanded.

"She and Thor's old maid had, but they are dead now."

"No better fate befitting them." Wilhelm snarled.

"She is alive, but only just. She has been stolen back to Alfheim." He informed the elf.

Wilhelm stared at him in disbelief. "Alfheim, why?"

"We do not know, yet," Odin stated.

Everything ached your chest, your arms, your legs, and especially your head. You went to rub it, but your arms felt like lead, and when you opened your eyes, you realised thick chains bound them. "What….Loki? Wilhelm?" your voice cracked, and you realised your throat was sore. You hissed in pain and looked at your palm, noticing it was wrapped in a bandage. The last thing you remember was taking the pillow off your face to try and pull yourself together, only to see a blade coming for your chest, grabbing it in your hand just as it was going to strike you.

"You have awoken." You jumped and looked around, realising there was a door not too far away, a large figure in it. "Good."

"Who are you?" you half demanded.

"I am Lord Ivan."

"Why am I here, Lord Ivan?"

"That, I cannot say."

"Why?"

"Because your fate has yet to be decided."

"What are the options I face?" You had a funny feeling you need not have asked.

"Usually you are all just slaughtered, I am unsure why they have kept you alive."

"All? Why are we being killed? What connects us?"

"I do not ask questions I will not receive the answers to." He explained. "Just know you seem to have been kept alive for this long for a reason."

"Why?"

"Sometimes the reasons behind some questions are preferable not to know." And with that, he closed the door again.

You whimpered to yourself, feeling terrified and upset. Curling up, you winced as you felt your core ache slightly. Reaching down, you felt fluid seep from it, remembering that only a few hours before whatever had happened, you were in bed with Loki, his body on yours, and finally filling you with his seed, marking you as his, the fluid now coming from you. You bit your lips together as you though of what whoever that man was had said; you also wondered why you had been allowed survive when others had been killed for whatever crime you had supposedly committed.


	35. Chapter 35

Loki stared at the bed, not twenty four hours ago you had been curled against him in it, your head against his chest, above his heart; you had been under him, giving him every last part of you as he showed you how much he loved you. And now you were gone. He did not know if he would ever get to lay you to rest, he prayed to the Norn's he would, he would give everything he had to just find you.

He walked over to the bed and took the pillow you had rested on, holding it to his nose, he inhaled, sure enough, the citrus scent of your soaps were on it. He inhaled deeply again, trying to keep the scent strong in his nose. When he ceased, he knew he was not alone. "I do not require anything Wilhelm." He stated, barely looking behind him.

"She lives." Loki spun around. "Thor has been sent to Alfheim after her, the Allfather fears you will be too emotional."

"Perhaps he is right." Loki sighed, placing the pillow on the bed again.

Wilhelm stared at him in thinly veiled shock and disgust. "So that is it? You are not going to even try and save her."

"She wanted nothing more to do with me. She said she could be with me no longer." He stated in defeat.

"Only because she was hurting, because of your tricking her into bed. So you are abandoning her." Wilhelm hissed.

"I am not…Thor will bring her back, he will protect her. I was not able to do such, she is better off without me."

"I…Norn's you cannot be serious." Wilhelm was in shock at what he was hearing. "You stand there and say you love her but do nothing to save her." He stormed over to Loki. "You do not care for her."

"Do not tell me what manner I feel for her, you could never know," Loki growled, glaring at him.

"If it were Anna, I would move the realms to help her."

"Then you go save her."

"I cannot, I am no warrior, I am a hand servant, nothing more."

"Then how would you save your beloved elf?" Loki sneered.

"I would find a way." Loki scoffed again. "I should have known, you only wanted to bed her, get experience from one with none so you could go after someone advantageous in court, hopefully get some lord's daughter and avoid the bad pairing with the little brat. Now you've had her she matters little, whoever did this probably did you a great favour ridding you of her, at least this way now there is no risk of her carrying your child." Wilhelm spat.

Loki saw red, spinning around, he caught the other man by the throat and pushed him against the closest wall. "Do not dare…" Loki bellowed irately.

"I caught you out on your farce Loki, do not get angered, you know I know you better than any other, I cannot believe I fell for the façade of you caring for her, I thought at least you would know how to treat her, but you are nothing more than a spoiled brat, no wonder your father does not put interest in you, you have no loyalty, not as Thor does." Wilhelm groaned as Loki punched him across the face and broke his nose, causing him to fall to the floor.

"I love her more than I love my own miserable life, I would die a thousand painful deaths for her!" he yelled down at the hand servant.

"Well act like it, you moron. What good is this passion if you don't even try?" he challenged, smiling back at him.

"I…" Loki looked at Wilhelm in shock, realising what the hand servant had done. "You goaded me."

"Oh for Valhalla's sake Loki, someone had to get you out of this rut, you mourn for her, but do nothing because of the grief, yet she is alive, but who knows for how long, you have to find out what is behind this, the Allfather is less than pleased, he has asked about her past, he knows about you both."

"He does?"

"You need to end this Loki." Wilhelm urged.

"I am sorry." Loki indicated to his face.

"No your are not, if anyone spoke like that of Anna and I did not react like that, I would never be able to say again that I loved her." Wilhelm shrugged. "They used that passageway, the one on the hillside, she is on Alfheim, and according to Heimdall, and she knows her attacker. It was Rebekkah and Freda that came to capture her, but they are both dead now." he informed his friend, helping him get his weapons, blood still dripping from his nose.

"Do we know who?"

"He never said."

"Have we even got a why?" Loki asked in frustration as he put a blade into its holster.

"Nothing."

"That guardian is no more than a nuisance, I do not care if he can see the realms, he won't even assist." He growled.

"Just be glad we know we are not looking for her corpse," Wilhelm stated solemnly. "Make sure it remains that way."

"My horse…"

"Already tacked and waiting."

"I will leave Thor to get her back, I will have her harmed if I am not careful, I will deal with other things," Loki swore.

"I know." Wilhelm grinned. "And do not make it long, Anna does not want a wedding without her."

"Have you any idea where we are?" Fandral asked as the warrior's looked around the dense forest. "It is so…green."

"It is a forest Fandral, what else would you expect?" Sif scoffed.

"They are not too far from here," Thor stated, looked at the ground from the saddle of his horse.

"And how do you know this, my friend?" Volstagg asked curiously.

Thor pointed down. "The marks of a cart are fresh, we follow them, we find her."

"Why are we doing all this for a maid?" Fandral queried. "I mean to say, of course, I am willing to help, but the manner in which this is being treated, it is not normal practice."

"We are sworn to protect all," Thor answered. "Even lowly maids."

"She is a Light Elf, though, so if they want her…"

"Fandral, if you wish to return home, then do so, none will stop you," Sif growled. "We are needed, and that is all I care about. I…" she ceased speaking and turned as she heard a horse cantering up behind them.

"What are you doing here? You are in no fit state to…" Thor began.

"I am not here to find her; that is your mission, I need to find out what is afoot." Loki interrupted, slowing his horse. "Find her, please."

Thor looked at him in bewilderment. "Are you not going to try?"

"I cannot, I know myself I will only be a danger, I am too involved, as soon as I see her, I will get us hurt, I know it. You deal with that, I will deal with finding out why." He instructed, pushing in his heels and getting his horse passed them. "And hurry up, she has not long." He shouted back.

"Okay, someone needs to explain this." Volstagg declared.

"Loki loves her; she is why he came into my rooms in such a manner and fought so terribly."

"Loki? Loves a maid?" Fandral asked in shock. "But surely…the Allfather would never…"

"Father cannot permit the match, but it does not mean he wants my brother suffering. Also, with this, it makes it all the more personal." Thor shrugged. "All that concerns me now is what Loki is doing?"

"He is being wise, he knows in his current state he is at risk," Hogun responded. "And in turn, he is keeping us all safe, so I commend him for such. We know little of the reasoning behind this yet, so his focusing on such is nothing but an aid."

Saying no more on the matter, Thor ordered they move on, looking to the left in the fork ahead that Loki had taken; the wheels of the cart indicating they needed to go right, praying to the Norn's his brother did nothing that would see him lose his life.

Loki did not stop until he reached the great palace of Alfheim, he used his seidr to open the gates, the guards just watching open-mouthed as the magic that was supposed to assist them buckled immediately under Loki's own and looked at him as he galloped by, knowing what he had done for the realm previously and knowing that should they do anything, they would more than likely anger Asgard, as well as die immediately against the war veteran prince.

Loki jumped from his horse before it even stopped, the animal immediately going to a water source to rehydrate, knowing its master to be a man that could return in moments and demand its full strength again. He strode through the palace with purpose and did not halt or slow in any manner as he made his way to the throne room. Once there, he burst the doors open, his eyes fixated on King Njall, who looked at him startled. "Prince Loki, what is the matter?" he asked, rising to his feet.

"Why are elves coming to Asgard, hiring maids to kill other maids and stealing back an elfin one?" He demanded angrily. "What in Valhalla's name is going on here?"

King Njall's eyes flitted side to side for a moment before he swallowed and answered. "I assure you Prince Loki, I have no…"

"SILENCE!" Loki bellowed, causing even the guards in the room to jump, having never even heard of the second prince of Asgard being one of serious temper, and now witnessing it in all its glory. "I am the God of Lies you dim fool, I can sense them from a realm away, why do you think I have such a demeanour, most every last filthy wretch I meet is a liar, and I see them all, as I see yours, you know full well what is afoot, and if you do not tell me this instant, I will make you rue the day I was ever given life."

Terrified, King Njall looked at the irate prince. "Leave us." He ordered his Lords and his guards. Somewhat hesitantly, they did as instructed. When the last one exited and the door was shut, Njall sighed and rubbed his hand over his brow. "I…There is no manner in which it is easy to say this."

"I find opening the mouth and willing the words out tends to help." Loki snarled.

"I am not sure what you will think of what I have to tell you."

"Believe me; I will not be long in letting you know exactly what I think." Loki growled, his promise terrifying the foreign king. "So, speak." As King Njall revealed what he assumed to be happening to Loki, the Prince's eyes widened, trying to process what was being said.

"Where am I?" You demanded, the next time Lord Ivan entered. "Why am I here, I've done nothing wrong." Since you were apparently to die anyway, you saw no reason to hold back. After poisoning and kidnapping, you effectively had nothing left to lose.

"You are back on Alfheim, where you belong."

"No, Asgard is my home, I live there."

The older elf chuckled. "You are a Light Elf, are you not?" you nodded, knowing it to be obvious. "Then you belong here."

"Why am I here?" you decided you were going to get nowhere with him on the other fact.

"To be dealt with."

"Why, what have I supposedly done?"

"I neither know why nor do I care."

"Why was I kept alive when all the others you spoke of were killed immediately?"

"Perhaps because you deserted, to be frank, my dear, I do not care in the slightest. All I will say is it is a pity." He stroked the side of your face almost kindly as you glared at him. "You are the prettiest little thing."

"Enough Ivan." A sharp voice ordered from the doorway. "Is she the last of them?"

"Of the list, you compiled, my Princess."

"Princess?" Your eyes widened. "Princess Renee?"

"Yes, you filthy wench, who else?" she sneered.

"Why am I here?" you asked again.

"Because you need to be dealt with."

"I have done nothing wrong." You argued, fearful as to why such a thing was happening.

"You exist, so that is your crime, I cannot have any competition."

"Compet…I am a maid on Asgard, what in the realms could I possible contest you for?" You almost laughed at the madness of what she was saying.

"You were harder to find than most of the others, sister, I mean, it is simple really, whores breed nothing but whores or labourers, but an old scullery maid, well, one would think one would not want her in her…tainted condition, but her husband kept her, the fool." She ignored your comment and continued on.

"I…" You did not know what she was saying. Your mother had been a scullery maid at the palace until she married your father, you knew that. "This does not make sense."

"You are older than me, not by much, but it matters enough to warrant concern, I am sure you understand, my dear sister. Though I had to get rid of the younger ones too. Norn's how irritating it is cleaning up after my stupid father." She hissed.

"Why do you keep calling me sister?" you asked. Often high-bred elves called each other brother and sister even if they were not related, simply as a term of closeness to indicate their class, but you were a lowly daughter of a scullery maid and a drunk, she was the only child of the King, the future Queen of Alfheim.

"You really do not know, do you?" She laughed cruelly, taking out a dagger from her dress. "Well allow me to enlighten you as I end your miserable life." She walked over. "Gods, you even look like he used when he was younger."

"Who?" That statement made little sense, you and your father shared almost no traits, and the ones you did were synonymous with all Light Elves.

"Our father."


	36. Chapter 36

"And you have allowed this?" Loki stood in utter shock at what King Njall had just told him.

"I have no proof." He argued. "Those that are targeted, they are not of great note in society, a few tavern wenches and cheap labourers, transient and uninteresting, no one cares to greatly for them."

"You are aware these are your children you speak of?" Loki stated in disgust at the king's attitude.

Njall scoffed. "The single act of siring them does not make them my children."

"On the contrary, I have had to study this subject, it very much makes them your children." Loki retorted.

"It is different here on Alfheim, Prince Loki," Njall explained. "When a child is born out of wedlock, the woman can be persecuted for bringing shame on the father's family."

"Perse…What sort of realm would ever persecute a woman for bearing a child? It is natural." Loki stated almost irately, astounded by what he was hearing. "You did nothing to ensure the care of those children, and now you are letting the only legitimate one you have had kill them!"

"I cannot confirm that she has." Njall clarified.

"Oh for Norn's sake Njall, you cannot honestly think she has done anything else with them. Your laws state the most capable child of the king is the future ruler; she has found your filthy little secret and has decided to ensure there is no risk to her claim. How many has she found so far?"

"I…I don't even know how many there are," Njall admitted.

"My maid…"

"The Ljósálfar one, what of her?"

"She came to Asgard and had her taken from her rooms, I want her back."

"Prince Loki, I…"

"IMMEDIATELY!" The prince roared.

"I do not know where she could possibly be, I have no solid proof of what my Renée is even doing, or where she could be doing it." Njall pointed out. "If she is one of my…"

"She is in grave danger," Loki answered. "You have caught my father's attention Njall, and that is not something you should want. As I speak with you, my brother is on the path of your daughter," Njall's eyes widened in terror, "and I can guarantee you, her gender and indeed her title will do her no favours should he find her and see her to be killing innocent beings." Loki growled.

"What is that?" Fandral looked over a ditch, his nose crinkled in disgust. "It smells like death."

"And lime," Volstagg added; his nostrils flaring as he tried to hamper a guess at what it was that was filling the air.

"It is potent." Thor agreed, "But…Norns!" he saw where the stench was originating from. "Is that…?"

"I did not know the Ljósálfar buried their dead." Sif frowned.

Hogun gave her a concerned look. "They do not."

Thor had his horse go as close to the ditch as was possible. "It appears to be a large pit." He dismounted and used Mjölnir to get him over to have a closer look.

"What is it, Thor?" Volstagg asked, seeing his friend stand over the source of the smell.

"What in the Norn's is going on here?" Thor asked himself quietly, looking at the bodies that were half covered in dirt and lime, ranging in ages from his own, to that of a young child.

"'Our', have you taken leave of your senses, my father was Benjamin of Reece Woods, a farm worker, yours is King Njall," you half laughed at the madness of what the Crowned Princess was saying, looking at her to see why she was jesting so.

"How do you not get it you simple wench, the man who raised you is not your father!" she shrieked. You stared wide-eyed. "My father sowed his seed in any that would lie under him, including your filthy whore of a mother, and in return, she spawned you."

"What...No."

"Do not believe me?" She hissed, enjoying seeing the confusion and indeed fear in your eyes. "She was his scullery maid before you were birthed you, she got on her back and allowed him at her like a filthy bitch in heat." She sneered. "Then, she went back home to her pathetic husband, who actually kept her," she laughed cruelly at that, before leaning in. "Then, from what I have been able to find out; his child killed her. That must have been angering, the bastard daughter lives, but his heir, his son dies and brings her with him. I would wager that that crushed him."

You shook as her words went through you, memories of some of the nights your father rambled incoherently, certain phrases and indeed comments you took as drunken garble, started to make sense, as did his treatment of you. "He was not my…"

"Do not tell me that you are sorry to here that, a drunken gambler, ha!" she scoffed. "Better to be the bastard bitch of the king really."

You looked her directly in the eye, "I would have been inclined to agree, until his insane heir apparent decides to have you poisoned, then kidnapped and tied to a table to kill. It gets somewhat less covetable an alternative then."

"You dare attempt to get witty with me?" Renée's eyes were filled with anger at your audacity.

"It is a statement of fact, nothing more. Why would someone want to have such blood if their half sister sees it as a reason to kill them?"

"I find myself wondering if you got that mouth from him."

"I probably got it from my time on Asgard, I am, after all, the maid of the Prince Loki." You shrugged slightly. "Wit and sarcasm are all we tend to use in his chambers."

Renée stared at you. "I suppose you take that from your mother."

"What is that?"

"Lying on your back for a royal." She snarked.

Your lip flickered up for a moment, perhaps there was some truth in that, you had lain with him and you were never going to be his, but you loved him, which was something surely. From the sounds of things, your mother had not loved King Njall. "Actually I was referring to how I enjoy spending time joking with the prince and indeed his hand servant, it is somewhat of a fun and jovial atmosphere." You stated calmly, "But thank you for your insightful manner of telling me your interpretation of events, perhaps you got that mindset from the King."

"I could kill you as soon as look at you." Renée's eyes were wide and wild.

"You have been promising to do so since you entered the room, I cannot fathom as to why you are taking so long."

Renée shrieked in fury. "Beg for your life."

"No."

"You are about to die, you should be begging me to spare you." She argued.

"Why, it will do me no favours. You are adamant to kill me; or at least I think you are, for you are taking considerable time to do it." You pointed out. "Perhaps you should get Lord Big Nose to do it, I am sure he would walk over hot coals barefoot for you were you to ask him." You indicated to a now offended looking Lord Ivan. "Is it your crown or your…jewels" you looked at the skirt of her dress as you commented, "That he is after?"

"Are you daring to accuse me of being like you? A filthy whore."

"Well, whores, from what I have been told, tend to be paid for their work, you seem to give it up for nothing." You looked at the lord again. "He is grotesque, honestly, you are to be commended for allowing that bear down on you."

"You little filthy…" Lord Ivan pulled a dagger from his belt and stormed over.

"NO! I want this one." Renee demanded.

"The manner in which she is speaking, my princess," Ivan argued.

"She wants to anger us, she is goading us," Renee stated as though it obvious, before looking at you again. "She is scared, she wants it to end. But that is too good for her I think."

"Princess, if Prince Loki…"

"Do you honestly think the selfish second prince of Asgard is going to worry himself about some filthy little bed warmer?" she laughed shrilly. "No, we let her suffer longer, have her brought to Lord Henricus." Your eyes went wide in terror; Renée gave a delighted snarling grin. "I know you are previously acquainted, though this time, you will not be sold as a slave." She leant down close and gave you a kiss on the cheek before lifting back slightly again. "I think it is time you take up your mother's profession as all whores do. Goodbye, sister." She turned to leave. "Make sure she is dosed before she leaves, we do not want her harming her clients by kicking and screaming," she added as she left the room.

Leaving you to stare as Ivan got a potion to give you from a satchel. As he approached, you thrashed as much as you could, your lips tightly shut. Using his larger weight on you, he pinned you down, before using the hand that was not holding the vial to pinch your nose tightly, causing you to be unable to breath, his other hand had the opened vial ready, knowing you would have to open your mouth sooner or later to breath, whether you wished to or not. You fought the lack of air for as long as you could, but your body screamed for it and as you knew would happen, your body inevitably overrode your will and forced you to open your mouth. Immediately, Lord Ivan shoved in the vial into your mouth upside down, keeping your nose pinched and your mouth shut around it, forcing you to swallow. Within moments, you felt the liquid seem into your blood, making it feel warm and radiating out through your body. You fought him as long as you could, but your limbs refused to work any longer to do your bidding. When he knew it was safe, he removed his weight from you and chuckled as he lifted you up. "I am going to pay to make sure every man in the brothel has a go on you tonight for your lack of manners." He promised. You wished you could cry, but not even that seemed to be under your control at present, so all you could do was pray, to the Norn's, the Gods and even the stars, that you could be saved, knowing it to be highly unlikely as you were put in the cart once more, and covered to make your journey.


	37. Chapter 37

"Where is she, Njall?" Loki demanded, taking long calculated strides by the king. "She needs to be stopped."

"We have no idea if she is even doing anything." Njall defended.

"Then surely you would want her name cleared?" Loki asked with a raised brow. "If she is not at fault for any of this, then surely you will want that proven immediately?"

"I do not…" The king was interrupted by the sound of heavy boot falls coming up the hallway of his palace. "What is…?" he asked, worriedly.

It took only a moment for Loki to recognise what was coming. "I would not like to ruin the surprise." Loki grinned wickedly, which only caused Njall to become more concerned.

The doors all but exploded from their hinges as they opened; the look of fear on Njall's face turned to one of sheer terror as the Allfather stood before him, surrounded by his Einherjar. "What in Valhalla's name is going on here Njall?"

"Allfather, I…"

"I have it from my son and from Heimdall that you are actively ignoring as your bitch of a daughter slaughters some that are mere children on the basis that she there is a chance you sired them," Odin growled.

"I was telling Prince Loki, I have no proof…"

"I have proof, I have the All-Seeing Guardian, and as the name suggests Njall, he can see everything." He snarled back. "Children, innocent children, your children." The look of disgust on his face told them of his anger.

"Allfather…"

"Yes, I am the Allfather, and as such, I am duty bound to protect the realms and their inhabitants, so here I am, doing so." Njall opened his mouth to speak but Odin raised his hand. "If you speak again, it is to be to reveal your daughter's location and nothing else. As you know, Loki need merely hear the words and he will know whether or not it is the truth you speak, and it will be dealt with accordingly by us both."

Njall looked at Loki for a moment, who, though shocked by his father's trust in him, was sneering at the Ljósálfar king. "She…I am not sure where she is, but I think I know."

"Well then, you best be telling us."

"There is a cabin, in a woods, south-west of here."

"We know." The king's looked at Loki. "Thor and the Warrior's are already on their way there. Who aids her?"

"I think it to be Lord Ivan, he…he has always voiced his wish for her hand. Were she to hint to it, he would do everything in the realms…"

"Including murdering children not yet old enough to be off their mother's breast?" Odin growled.

"I…"

"Loki, go to this cottage, see what you and Thor can find, and report back to me yourself."

"Yes, father." Loki gave a curt nod before turning and leaving.

"It is safe to say Njall, as soon as your people hear this, you will be relieved of your position," Odin stated as he walked closer the other king.

"Allfather, no, I…"

"You do not think they will want a man on the throne that permits the brutal killing of the innocent? We are Kings, Njall, it is our duty by birthright to protect them."

"But Renée…"

"I cannot let her live, Njall, not for what she has done, you know that," Odin answered sympathetically. "I know she is your daughter; you do love her, that is clear, but she cannot be allowed to be a risk to others again. Infants, Njall, mere infants; that cannot go unpunished."

"She is my child. What father should bury their child?"

"What of those children's mothers? They have lost their children." Odin growled, causing Njall to flinch. "And they were yours also, do you mourn them, do you weep for them?"

"You know how…"

"If you dare imply I know what it is like to dismiss an illegitimate child I will slay you myself." Odin snarled viciously. "I may be a lot of things, Njall, but I am a faithful husband, I have always been." He argued, "And no woman carried a child of mine before I was wed."

"When Ailbhe died…"

"These children range in age through your marriage Njall, some older than Renée, more younger. I am no fool, you will not weasel your way out of this with me." Njall said no more.

As they approached the cottage, the Warrior's readied their weapons, there was no sign of life, but they remained cautious nonetheless. Sif gave the indication that she would take the lead and the others followed her. As suspected, the dwelling was empty. As soon as the last room was scoured, they regrouped.

"Nothing," Volstagg growled in anger.

"There were cart trails outside, this is where we needed to come." Thor looked around.

"Why can I smell metal?" Sif asked, inhaling deeply.

"It is iron, from blood," Hogun stated solemnly. "The room I checked, there was dried elf blood on the table."

"How long is it there?" Thor asked worriedly.

"Days, it is not Loki's maid," Hogun replied with a shake of his head.

"Did you ever see something and wish you could unsee it?" they turned to Fandral, who was looking into a large wooden chest.

"What is it?" Volstagg was first to him. "Norn's." He bit his fist.

"What is it?" Thor asked.

Fandral reached in and took out a small bead bracelet, not the width of three of his fingers together. "My wife, as you know, her brother is an Ambassador here," Volstagg commented. "He gave us something similar when my oldest was born. It is to aid their sleeping when their first teeth are coming in." he sighed.

All of them stared sadly at the trinket, noting the bright red of dried elf blood on it. "Thor, what is going on here?" Sif asked, terrified of what the Prince would reply.

"I do not know, but I swear to the Norn's themselves, I will not stop until I find out." He promised, before looking around. "Where is Hogun?"

"He went back outside." Fandral indicated to the door.

They all walked out to see what the other warrior was doing. "Anything?" Thor asked, noticing how Hogun looked around.

"There was a horse here."

"Yes, hence the cart marks," Fandral commented.

"No, those," He pointed to one set of hoof prints, "Are cart horse hooves, big, strong. But these," he pointed to another set, clearly made by a different animal. "Are from a riding horse."

Thor walked around for a moment, studying the ground as Hogun had. "We did not meet the cart again on the road."

"Yes, we are aware," Sif answered.

"And this is where we needed to come."

"Sadly, this is true." She answered. "What are you getting at Thor?"

"Where did the cart go?" he walked around the side of the cottage and realised there was a small laneway there too. "Mount up, I found more tracks." He had barely made his way back to where the others were when his horse's reins were given to him by Fandral, who sat on his own steed, as did the others. "Let us deal with this foe."

"Before another is killed." Volstagg nodded.

Thor kicked in his heels and cantered off, the others following immediately after, knowing next on the list would be you.

"Allmother, to what do I owe this privilege?" Heimdall did not turn to look at the Queen of the Aesir as she entered the Bifrost.

"What is occurring Heimdall?"

"Acts most foul."

"I hear rumours, since she was taken, they say she was taken alive for a reason."

"There are fates, far greater than death, You Majesty. If she is not found, I fear she will suffer such a one."

"Where is she Heimdall?"

"I can no longer see her."

"How is that possible?" the Queen asked in disbelief.

"Do you recall Prince Loki's last visit is Alfheim with the maid, he was hidden for a time to save himself from being spotted by his enemies, well those enemies have done similar," Heimdall explained.

"Do they know where to look?" Frigga walked up beside him, looking into space, though not seeing what the golden eyed God could see.

"Prince Thor found the trail, he and the Warrior's ride there now, but whether they are able to keep it, that is not as sure. Loki is on his way to them."

"We can only pray." Frigga sighed, terrified of what would become of you, and in turn, Loki.

You fought your body's complacency to remain so still, to not even attempt to move, but the potion was stronger than your limbs, and you could only try to fail. The rocking of the cart made you nauseous and the battered wood under your cheek caused small splintering grains to prod your skin irritatingly. You could here ongoings outside the cart, of elves that were more than likely blissfully unaware of your terrible predicament as the cart trundled down the road. You tried to call out, but your voice would not work, so you could only wait, tears of fear and anger burning your eyes.

Finally, the cart came to a halt, you could hear loud shouting and noise, telling you where you were, and causing your stomach to drop with dread. There was no denying the sound of drunken men, laughing, fighting and cheering and you knew Lord Ivan would make good on his word to let them all have you from the conviction in his eyes. Loki had shown you tenderness and caring in your coupling, cherishing you inside and out, but no one would show you such kindness here; brutality and pain were all you could look forward to. The only goodness in it all being, Loki had given you happiness before all of this, you could hold onto that, you had to hold onto that. None could, or would be able to take it away, you would not allow it.

You felt the cart rise, as Lord Ivan got off it. Trying to steady your breathing, you waited for the inevitable. Your senses seemed to heighten, you heard every footfall away from the cart, and less than five minutes later, each second feeling like an eternity, you heard two come back. The tarp was pulled and you were dragged from the cart.

"Be gentle, if you cut and scrape her, no one will be willing to pay for her." An older woman snapped.

"Tonight is already paid for, none will care how she looks." Lord Ivan growled.

"Tonight might be paid for, milord, but what of tomorrow night, or the night after. And how is she supposed to open her mouth on her knees if she cannot use them? The last thing we need is her biting them because she is in pain."

"I think you fail to realise, she will not be here too long, she will only be here long enough to suffer before she is dealt with accordingly." Lord Ivan growled, throwing you over his shoulder as though you were a mere sack of grain.

"Bring her around the back." The woman commanded.

"She should be thrown to the tavern."

"She needs to be inspected and cleaned up first, it is a brothel, not a dossers house."

"Same difference."

"No, it is not." You shuddered to yourself when you heard that voice. "My bitches' clients pay good money for clean and good looking girls, and that is what they get. I like my investments to be of a certain quality." Lord Henricus commented. "What have we here, why is she drugged?"

"A gift, from Princess Renée, she wants her used like the filthy little bitch she is, and when she can take no more, I am to retrieve her." Lord Ivan threw you down on a wooden table.

"Norn's but the Princess knows how to make those who wrong her suffer." Lord Henricus chuckled darkly. "I can do that."

"I am going to pay for any man in this place to have her as he wants her tonight, after that, do what you wish with her." Lord Ivan threw a large bag of coins on the table.

"Well now, what did you do to anger our Princess so greatly little one." Lord Henricus pushed your hair off your face, his eyes widening as he did. "Could it be?"

"I was wondering if you'd recognise her." Lord Ivan grinned.

"Did your prince grow bored of you little one?" he grinned smugly. "Aga, clean her up, she needs to be made ready for her public."

"What of precautions, Milord?" she asked, having already retrieved a basin of warm water and a cloth.

Lord Henricus looked to Lord Ivan. "Does it matter if she is bred?"

Your eyes filled with terror at what they were saying. Lord Ivan's face was almost gleeful. "Fill her up." He slapped your thigh, "I bet you wish you bit your tongue now you little bitch."

"I will inform you after she has suffered the worst of childbearing illness, then you can have her for whatever it is the Princess wants." Lord Henricus swore, walking around the table, assessing you as he did. "I…" he stopped, his view was on your lower half, exposed somewhat as Aga cleaned the small scraps on your legs from being dragged from the cart. Lord Henricus pulled your skirt up higher and pulled your undergarments off, looking closely at the top of your thighs. "She's been recently taken, did you take your fill of her first?" He asked Lord Ivan with a grin. "I thought you only had eyes for the Princess."

"I have not had the little harpy, who would want something as common as her?"

"Well her thighs have dried seed on them, she has had someone of late." He stated as though obvious. "How long have you had her?"

"A day."

"And you had her taken from Asgard?"

"When she left the Liesmith's rooms, she was taken immediately." Lord Ivan dismissed, uninterested.

"The Liesmith." Lord Henricus looked at you, his eyes filled with hope. "Has your precious prince been bedding you?" he asked curiously in a low voice. He turned to Ivan, handing a small box he had in his hand to him. "I will speak to you soon, my friend, thank her Highness with this token." He bowed, handing the box to Ivan, who opened it to reveal a beautiful golden necklace, encrusted with rubies.

"She will be most delighted with your gift, and I will give her your assurances that this one will suffer."

"That she will." With that, Ivan left, and as soon as Henricus was sure he was gone, he turned to the woman. "Check her, I want to know if she is bred." He ordered Aga.

The woman cut open your dress with a scissors and checked your stomach. "She has not the swelling of a child, or of a potion to prevent it." She answered.

"You are sure?" Lord Henricus half demanded.

"On my life, that seed has not been prevented from taking." She pointed between your legs.

Lord Henricus pinched your cheeks in his fingers and forced you to look at him. "Is that the seed of the prince on you?" you could not answer, even if you had wished. He studied your eyes, an elated grin coming to his face. "I think it is." he turned to Aga. "Clean her, get her redressed and have her brought to my room, shackle her to the bed."

"Milord?"

"She is not to be touched by another, not one." He ordered. "I want that to be the seed that takes root, do everything to ensure it."

"It may already have, you heard Lord Ivan, she has had it in her for a day," Aga stated. "What if you are wrong?"

"When the potion dies down, we will have her talk, once the seed has taken she can be mounted, so regardless, she will have her legs spread for her, and she will still suffer what childbearing endures."

"And if it is the Prince's?"

"We force her to birth it, and ruin the House of Odin's good name with his son's bastard brat." Lord Henricus grinned.


	38. Chapter 38

For three days you were chained to a bed, and for the entire time, you were terrified, knowing sooner or later Lord Henricus would do as he promised and let the men that frequented the brothel at you, knowing that every hour that went by, you were one step closer to being forced into that situation. You were also terrified by why you had not been forced to do so already, though, in truth, you were relieved slightly also. The idea that you would be forced to breed to ruin Loki and his family sickened you. You did not want to carry Loki's child, because of what it would be and because he could not acknowledge it, but if it had happened accidentally, you would have loved it unconditionally, this was never how you could have wanted such a thing. For three nights, Lord Henricus would arrive back to his rooms, chuckling drunkenly, rubbing your stomach saying how you had the downfall of the House of Odin within you before leaving again to sleep in another room. For three days and nights, you prayed to the Gods, the Norn's and the stars to be found, but for three days and nights, you were not.

"Eat up my dear; you will need your energy to grow that child." Lord Henricus sneered as he came into the room on the fourth afternoon.

"You seem so sure there is something in there." You growled.

"Ah, you are able to speak again." He grinned, "Good, we need to have a little chat."

"There is nothing to say."

"Who put his seed in you?"

"Why in the realms would I tell you?" you growled.

"Your reluctance suggests to me it is the Prince's."

"How do you know I am not implying it is his to stop you from putting me to those filthy slobs out there?" you challenged.

"What are you on about?"

"If it was not his seed if it was another servant's, would you have thrown me out there already?" he gave you a look. "I thought as much."

"Are you wasting my time?"

"Do you expect me to tell you if I am or not?" you scoffed. "Can you take the risk of another breeding me if he is the one to have already, but at the same time, am I only stalling?"

Henricus growled angrily. "If you are not with child already, I will not let you rest until every man on Alfheim has filled you, you will be forced to bear children for a decade straight like a prized mare before I let Princess Renée put an end to your miserable life." He forced you to look at him before spitting in your face and storming out.

When he was gone, you tried to get the saliva out of your eyes, but with little success, shaking at how he had spoken, and terrified of how it could very easily happen if you were not found. "Loki, please find me." You whispered into the empty room.

"There is no possibility for her to still be alive Loki." Thor sighed. They were exhausted, having scoured the realm as best they could, but it had essentially been wading around in the dark. Thor and the Warrior's had had some sleep, but Loki refused to.

"Then I will cease when I know that." Loki trotted on, having had to rotate horses several times, no animal able to remain under him as he checked every last nook and cranny he came to.

"Brother, I beg you, take rest, do not give up, merely rest, and refresh yourself so you can search more." Thor pleaded.

Exhausted, Loki sighed and nodded, feeling defeated, he looked around and realised where they were, a cold bark of a laugh leaving him. Thor looked at him curiously. "Do you not recognise this place?" Thor looked around for a moment before shaking his head. "It is near the house we met you in last time here when you were in the female form, her home."

Thor shook his head. "Is there no let up in this torment?" He asked the skies. "You are going to go there and torture yourself, are you not?" Loki nodded and trotted forward. "Of course he is." The warrior's following suit.

The house had not been used since the last visit from what Loki could tell, he walked in and straight up the stairwell, to the room you had said was yours when you were there last. He stood in the middle of it, trying to sense you. Your aura was weak, but with his strongest seidr, he could sense it slightly. "I will find you, I promise." He swore. He walked over to the dusty bed, waved his hand to rid it of the dust, and lay down on it, tiredness barely able to take him as he thought of you.

"Loki?" the younger prince groaned as he stirred. "Brother."

"What is it Thor?" he grumbled.

"Huginn and Muninn are here."

Loki forced himself to wake more. "And, what do they want?"

"I do not know."

"Well, why don't you use your beloved mallet to go to father at the palace and find out?" he growled in annoyance. Thor nodded and walked out of the room again. "Honestly, the idiot." He settled back to sleep again.

"Father?" Thor walked into the throne room, where a very tired Odin was standing and highly stressed Njall was sitting, Einherjar had two people held fast, causing Thor to look at them. "Princess Renée, I would say it is a pleasure to see you again, but the only pleasure I can take from this is that if you are here, you cannot be killing people."

"I killed no one." She spat.

"No, I would think not, you would not have the mettle to, but I wager you gave the order. My brother told me everything." He looked at her in disgust before turning to the man next to her. "Who is this?" he indicated to him.

"This is Lord Ivan." Odin exclaimed, "Her faithful idiot."

Thor walked over to him, inspecting him thoroughly. "I would wager he was the one to kill them, he has the look of one that sees no wrong in slaughtering the innocent." He looked him up and down in disgust. "What needs doing with them, father?"

"Where is Loki?"

"Far from here, in the forests."

"I wanted to bring him here, they will not talk," Odin explained.

"He will take an age to come." Thor looked between the pair again, studying them both. "I will bring the man to him; he looks like he will squeal like a pig with the right encouragement." He gave a gleaming smile as he spoke. Ivan stared at him in terror. "And I warn you now, Lord Ivan, Loki is not the kindest of beings when he is tired, and this will force him from his first nap in three days."

"Tell him to let him live."

"Father, you know how…"

"No, tell him to let him live, I want to show the people of Alfheim how we deal with these things," Odin ordered. "He is to have the full treatment."

"Father, surely…"

"The FULL treatment." Odin reiterated.

Thor swallowed. a look of fear on his face. "Yes, father." He stated with a shaking voice as he bowed. Indicating for the guards to follow him, they dragged the Lord outside before Thor grabbed him in a manner that cracked his collarbone and forced them into the air with Mjölnir.

When he arrived back at your old home, the ravens were still perched on a tree, watching what was going on; their eyes being Odin's own on the situation.

Hogun stood guard in the house doorway. "A friend I take it?" He stated; his tone though neutral, seemed to indicate his sarcasm.

"I take it Loki has not arisen yet?"

"He has not slept in days, I doubt he would do so willingly before sunup," Hogun commented, allowing them passed, before taking position again.

"Sif?" the raven haired woman came out of the living area turned tavern, waiting for instruction. "Tell Loki I have Lord Ivan and he is for interrogating immediately; tell Fandral and Volstagg to get up also." Nodding silently, Sif made her way up the stairs.

Thor brought the Lord into the kitchen area and shoved him onto a chair, tying him there with some rope. A few moments later, footfalls became plentiful above them before they all descended the stairwell. Loki entering the room first, his exhausted eyes filled with a fire. "Is that him?"

"Aye, he is the one who would have killed her." Thor nodded.

Loki pulled a dagger from his belt and went to the Lord, pressing it to the side of his face. "What is to stop me from killing you here and now?" he hissed.

"Loki, father said to spare him."

"I will not." Loki spat.

"He wants him given the full treatment."

Loki had been about to argue again, but on Thor's words, stopped and looked at Ivan, a menacing smile on his face. "Very well, shall we ask a few questions then?"

"I have nothing to say." Ivan declared.

"On the contrary, I believe you have much to say. So let us start. Why did you do it? What is she offering you?" Loki asked calmly.

"What are you on about?"

"Do not play coy, it will do you no favours, my father said I cannot kill you, not that I cannot torture and maim you, and I guarantee you, baby killer, there are far greater pains than that of death." Loki grinned. "Why did she do it? Was it to secure the throne?" Ivan said nothing but made subtle movements on his face, which Loki noticed immediately. "So it was. Did she fear another contesting her?" Again, Ivan said nothing, "She did. One of them knew, did they?" Ivan's nostrils flared. "They did. Did they approach her?"

"I am saying nothing."

"They did, they threatened her, and you protected her did you not, the first one, I am hampering that it was a male, truly threatened her, and you came to her aid, and since then, she realised it could happen again and that she had to pre-empt it, she had to strike first. Have I got it all correct so far?" Ivan's fearful face told him he had.

"I forgot how terrifyingly efficient you can be when you wish to be, brother." Thor grinned.

"I know, it is staggering to even myself sometimes." He grinned back. "So, back to our little chat. For your services, what did she give in return?" he swallowed. Loki's eyebrows rose in response. "Lucky Lord Ivan, you would not have gotten one that looks as she does otherwise, did she promise you her hand?"

"Shut up!"

"I take that as she did?" Thor grinned, Loki nodded.

"You filthy little…" Lord Ivan groaned as Thor struck him across the back of the head.

"You forget your manners, Ivan." Loki stated boredly, "You are in the presence of the greatest being and fighter of all time, and my brother, the future king of Asgard and Allfather." Thor gave Loki a bemused look, which caused the younger to simply grin. "Why did you try to poison her first, why not kill her like the others, was it the complexity of her location?" he watched Ivan's reaction. "It was, and how did the healer's apprentice, the whore and the other maid come into it."

"Easily led little sluts." He snarled.

"Well, they are just three more to add to the list of people you will be tried for."

"I only killed the whore." He argued, not realising he had just admitted to a murder.

"Well, none can prove it was not you who killed the others." Thor shrugged. "So where is she? She was not in the pit of the dead near the cottage, so is she still living?" he demanded. Ivan glared at him. "Loki…?"

Loki's own eyes widened. "She lives." He grinned for a moment before anger and frustration took him again. "Where is she?" he growled.

"Like you said Prince Loki, there are pains far greater than death." He laughed manically.

Loki shook in anger. "I agree, and you will beg for it soon. I will demand I am given the pleasure of giving you your just deserts." Loki snarled. "Do you know what my father has planned for you; I feel I should forewarn you, it is really something you need to be prepared for. It is a medieval Midgardian practice, which as everyone knows, is the most brutal. I mean, I for one, cannot gather for one moment how they did such things to one another. It is a three stage death, and it is as punishing as it is long. They start you see," he walked calmly over to the Lord, "by hanging you. And not drop hanging, no, you are put on a horse, the noose tightened and the horse made walk off, so you slide off slowly, being choked until you shit yourself and are on the verge of passing out, then you are cut down, urine thrown on you to get you to wake again, and you are tied to the horse by your legs, about a few meters of rope from it, and the horse is ordered forward by it's rider, usually at a trot, a walk is too slow, you only get a few bumps, a gallop too fast, and you are usually dragged over a ragged surface, then finally, mercy is shown, and you are brought onto a large carving block, where you are sliced into pieces, slowly, avoiding major arteries and veins for as long as is possible, the Midgardian's called it being 'hung, drawn and quartered'." Loki's voice never faltered once, even when Lord Ivan vomited in terror. "Tell me where she is, and I will make sure it is not as drawn out as that."

"She is in a whorehouse."

"What one?"


	39. Chapter 39

Startled, you heard shouts, shrieks and yells as you woke, looking around fearfully; it took a few moments before a voice became familiar.

"IS SHE HERE?" Loki never yelled in your presence, but there was no doubting it was him, and relief flooded you. You tried to call out, but you had been drugged again to ensure your good behaviour, so you could only hope that they would scour the premises should they not be told.

"Check every room," Thor ordered.

"You have no right." Aga snapped.

"Woman, if you do not get out of my way this instant, I will have you gutted like a fish." Thor threatened back.

"You are a prince, you can do no such thing."

"I am the future Allfather, I can do just that and none will bat an eye lid." He snarled, towering over her, Aga swallowed in terror. "But you know who would have even less issue with it, Sif?" the raven haired warrior stepped forward, a small sword in her hand. "Make sure she does not interfere."

"What of the girls that are…working?" Volstagg asked.

"Well, they will be asked if they wish to be here or not, should they say not, they will be immediately relieved of their duties. Tell them that they need only go to the palace, there they will be secured money to ensure they are not left without and forced back here." Nodding, the Warrior's went about searching each room.

You listened as they opened doors, angry men and startled women sounded out their locations. A few arguments seemed to start, but no sooner did they start did they seem to cease once again. Waiting, you continued to listen, hoping they would come to you soon. Finally, the door opened slowly, causing you to hold your breath. You felt your stomach drop when it was Lord Henricus, who gently closed the door behind him again. Had you the ability to make noise, you would have rivalled the fabled banshee with your screams.

"I think it is time we take our leave, my dear." Henricus smiled, though there was fear in his features. "Your prince has come for you and your precious cargo, but we won't be here."

Squeezing your eyes shut, you did everything in your power to try and will a limb to move as he unchained you from the bed, you prayed and prayed he would not be successful, but you felt the last chain be unclasped and the filthy lord lift you from the bed. You did not bear to look, knowing that you were not possibly going to be saved if you could not even call out for someone to help you. Going out the back exit, you heard his footfalls over leaves and twigs, and you felt like crying when a branch swatted your leg, telling you that you were within trees, hidden once more.

"That was close." Henricus chuckled, as he came to a halt for a few moments, relieved to have made it out.

"Lord Henricus, we meet again." Your eyes shot open when you heard that voice. Your eyes flickering around, you saw a dagger to Henricus' throat. You knew it anywhere, it was something you had had to clean around more times than you could count, following the blade, to the hand, the hand you would never forget against your cheek as he kissed you adoringly, or as he touched you so intimately; to the arm, and finally to the incredibly handsome face of Prince Loki, who's gaze and focus was solely fixated on Henricus. "I should end your filthy existence here and now."

"You do that, I drop her."

"After everything you have done to her, I am sure a small fall is the least of her worries."

"She has been given a milk of the poppy derivative, she will not be able to cushion her fall, can you risk that, risk her striking her head?" he sneered.

"Sif?" The sound of a sword being unsheathed and a moment later, the appearance of the deadly warrior woman filled you with hope. "Brother?" a moment later, heavy footfalls told you Thor had emerged from the trees also.

"I have her." Thor's deep voice declared as he walked over to you, daring Henricus to do anything as he cradled his arms under you, and lifted you from the elfin lord's.

"I will follow in a moment," Loki promised.

"Do you need any assistance?" Sif asked, looking to Loki.

"I take it you are less than pleased?" Loki enquired, brow raised.

"Not one of those women are here willingly, he does not protect them from getting with child and brutalises them until they lose the ones they fall pregnant with. What do you think?" she growled.

"I think you hate him as much as I do." Loki grinned, "I propose we deal with him together."

"You do not often share, brother."

"When it is to inflict suffering on the filthy beast that hurts those I love, I am more than willing, after all, the good Lady Sif may think of something I cannot." He grinned.

"Whatever you do to me, it will not stop the damage already done." Henricus spat.

"What are you waffling on about?" Loki asked boredly.

"Your whore, your seed, it has planted in her." He scoffed. Loki looked over at you, his eyes fixating on your midriff, Thor's own doing the same. "I have assisted in bringing shame and question to the House of Odin, though I should credit you for the greatest amount of the work." He laughed.

"Loki?"

"He is only trying to anger us, nothing more." Loki dismissed, but his voice was not as confident as he would have wanted it to be, recalling you pleading him to make something to prevent such a thing happening. "Get her inside, she will freeze out here."

Thor nodded and did as his brother requested, taking you back inside to await him. Taking off his large red cloak and putting it on you. "Fear not, he will return in a moment." He soothed.

"She is not moving," Fandral noted.

"It is a poison, made of the poppy seed, pain killing to us, temporarily kills the ability to move to elves," Hogun explained knowingly.

"Is it me, or are elves far too fragile?" Volstagg shook his head.

"Not every being is as formable looking as you, my friend," Fandral commented. "I seem feeble in comparison."

"How are we going to get her on a horse like this?" Thor pondered.

"I am sure Loki will think of something." Volstagg shrugged, turning, he saw the younger prince walk up behind them, with Sif and a very brutalised and unable to stand alone Lord Henricus. "Speak of the devil."

"Dare I ask?" Loki looked around.

"We are wondering how best to get…" Thor indicated to you in his arms.

"I will mount my horse; then you hand her to me," Loki ordered.

"But she is unresponsive."

Loki looked at you. "I know." He stated sadly, he retrieved his horse, mounted it and brought it over to his brother, between them; they slowly and carefully got you on, Loki using his magic to bind you to him so you would not fall. "I will get a remedy for this as soon as we get to a healer." He promised, kissing your temple. Henricus, though beaten, sneered as he watched the interactions between Loki and yourself.

"What of him?" Fandral asked, indicating with a tilt of his head to Henricus.

"We bring him, he is to stand trial for the enslavement and trafficking of countless men and women." Sif twisted his wrist causing him to hiss in pain. "And I get the pleasure of showing him what happens when he finally finds a female that will not bow to him." She sneered. "Though to say she is severely drugged, it says she did not bow either." The female warrior indicated to you.

"It is not in her nature." Loki smiled fondly.

"Slut." Henricus snarled before having his leg stomped on painfully by Sif.

"Just because she is not forced to and you are not getting money from it, does not make her a slut, it makes her free, a concept you may not be lucky enough to live long enough to remember." Sif snarled back. "If he is for the block, I want the pleasure." She looked at the royal brother's as she spoke.

"It is an embarrassing death for a male elf, especially for one of higher standing to be killed by a woman," Hogun informed them.

Loki looked to Sif, who was looking back at him, a mix of hope and delight on her face. "Cut off his manhood before you do anything else to him," Loki ordered.

"Oh, it will be my greatest pleasure." Sif grinned gleefully, dragging him over to her horse, tying him to her saddle before forcing him to follow behind.

The ride back to the palace was long and tedious, but the entire way, Loki held you close to him, apologising to you time and again for not being there sooner, for not doing the right thing, causing you to storm off to begin with, for you having to endure what you did. Part of you wanted to tell him to shut up, the other part was grateful you could not speak, instead happy to have his voice there, his warm, strong body behind you as the horse trotted.

After some time, your body began to come under your control a little again. "Loki." You whimpered, having fallen asleep against him for a short period.

"I am here, my darling. I am here." He soothed.

"I…love…you." You moaned leaning your head in as close as you could with your position, wanting to have his scent in your nose.

"I love you too." He whispered, kissing your temple for what seemed the thousandth time. "I will never let anything befall you again." He swore.

Finally, the palace came into view, and happy to be at the end of the journey, the group broke into a canter, Lord Henricus being forced onto Fandral's saddle for a time, since he could no long hobble along behind them. At arriving at the palace, Loki dismounted first before helping you down. "Now, let us see what fun awaits us within, shall we?" Thor grinned, walking up the steps, dragging Lord Henricus with him.

Loki stood by your side, holding your hand in his, not risking letting you out of his sight. There were murmurs and blatantly staring elves all over the palace, words flitted by you, 'disgrace, disgusting, bastards, embarrassing,' you just listened, not knowing if they were referring to you, or if it was in reference to what had gone on in general, since Loki had told you of everything that had happened while he was searching for you on the journey back to the palace.

"Well?" Odin asked when they entered the great throne room. "What have we?"

"The filthy Lord Henricus, one of the instigators of the rebellion, a trafficker and slave trader, in cahoots with the King's own daughter." Thor declared, indicating to Henricus, bowing when he saw his mother had joined them also.

"And the girl?" Odin half demanded.

Thor stood to the side and let you and Loki come into view. "Battered, shaken, drugged, but still with us." He smiled.

"You are one resilient little elf." Odin commended as he smiled down at you.

Frigga rushed straight over. "She needs to be cleaned, fed and given some proper rest." She insisted, trying to pry you from Loki to care for you.

"Not a moment, dear," Odin ordered. "Who did this to you?" he asked officially.

"The Princess Renée, Lord Ivan and Lord Henricus." You declared loudly, so both Aesir and Ljósálfar gathered could hear you.

"Very well, let her rest, Frigga, make sure she is cared for." Odin nodded.

"Yes," lord Henricus grinned maliciously. "It would not do to have the mother of your son's bastard be left wanting." He sneered.

Odin and Frigga stared wide-eyed at Loki. "He has been prattling on like that since we met him." he dismissed.

"Is she…?" Odin looked at you analytically, especially your midriff.

"No, sire, I am not." You stated with conviction. "Lord Henricus is under the impression that Asgard is as wayward with its morals as Alfheim and that to be in a prince's service means you are forced to lay with him." you bowed. "I bear no man's child."

"You are sure?" Odin asked.

"With all due respect Sire, I can say I know better than you that I do not. I am not at the right timing, and I am getting the usual cramping that is allied to bleeding."

Odin raised his hand. "Fair enough, I need no more details." He interrupted. Loki and the warrior's grimaced, Thor stared in horror, while Frigga and Sif rolled their eyes. "We need to discuss the very serious matter of your house now, Njall." He turned to the king, who was in chains behind him. "Your people have made it clear, they want you tried for your lack of doing anything when you suspected your daughter's crimes, your daughter is to beheaded for her crimes, as are her associates, and your house has no more heirs, because she killed them all." He scoffed.

"There is one left." Frigga pointed out, looking to you.

As you felt all the eyes in the room look to you, you stared in terror back. "No, I am a maid, a family less peasant, I am not…no…" you shook your head. "The crown has distant relatives, legitimate ones they can use. I want no part in this. I want to go home, back to Asgard, and never set foot on Alfheim again." You declared adamantly.

"Very well, that is your right." Odin nodded.

Thor looked at you in confusion. "But you could be the queen of Alfheim, not just some maid."

"I do not want titles, or lands, or crowns, I want to go home, to my family. I want to see my greatest friends marry, I want to dote on my soon-to-be niece or nephew, and I never want to make reference to that…" you looked at King Njall in disgust. "Man whore or his murderous filthy tramp of a daughter again." You reiterated. "I want to go home, and I want it done three and a half days ago." You declared before leaving the room.

"You can see her royal blood attributes shine through," Odin commented after you left, still looking at the door.


	40. Chapter 40

"And shall you, Anna, take Wilhelm to be your husband, to love and cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I shall." She smiled, tears of happiness in her eyes as she looked at Wilhelm, who looked adoringly back at her, having just sworn the same to her mere moments before.

"Then, I pronounce you as husband and wife from this day forth, you may kiss your bride." The high priest declared, before you, Mya and Wilhelm's family cheered happily.

"You next." You nudged Mya while you smiled and cheered.

"I would be so lucky; Michal would think it too soon I would think, he'd be scared off." She smiled before her face became slightly saddened. "What about you? Surely someone will want you; especially now you are wealthier than most Aesir."

"They may want me, but I do not want them." You smiled back, but behind it all, your heart was aching.

"You will find the right one somewhere; you are too good a being to be left by yourself." Mya rubbed your arm for a moment before walking over to Anna and Wilhelm, hugging your friend tight against her. Putting on your now somewhat permanent fake smile, you walked over, joining the celebrations.

"You look well, the lap of luxury suits you, Girlie." Wilhelm joked, hugging you to him after the meal was over, you were looking over the city from the small terrace attached to the small venue you had hired and gifted the pair for their wedding.

"I hate it, I miss what I had." You replied honestly. "I have never felt so lonely." You had tears in your eyes as you spoke.

"Girlie…"

"How are things in the palace, how is…?" you asked, you could not bring yourself to mention Loki's name.

After the fall of Njall and Renée, a cousin, a legitimate one, was made King of Alfheim; appalled and shocked at what his relatives had done, and knowing that you did not try to contest the passing of the crown to his line, and actually encouraged the idea of him, he sold Renée's, Ivan's and Henricus' lands after their executions, and gave you the proceeds of such, leaving you extremely wealthy. Odin had, however, severed your employment, which you were not entirely upset with, though you had not seen Loki since you had left.

"He was supposed to come today." Wilhelm looked around sadly, "But you know how it is royal duties." The manner in which Wilhelm spoke implied it was not as he was suggesting.

"I am not going to pretend I am too sad at that." you stated.

"Do you miss him?"

"It was the right thing to do."

"That does not answer the question, Girlie." He argued.

"It the only answer you are going to get." You stated, going to walk passed him.

"He asks for you, every day." You stopped for a moment. "The days I tell him I see you, and that you are well, those days he leaves his rooms. If I do not, he does not."

"It is not my doing."

"I know, Odin was at fault for that."

"We knew, were he ever to find out; it would be stopped, I am not a suitable partner."

"You are technically a princess."

"I am the illegitimate daughter of a disgraced king; that is hardly a worthy choice for the second son of the Allfather." You pointed out. "He is only looking out for Loki."

"So that is it, you are going to do nothing more on this?" he asked incredulously.

"It is for the best." you reiterated, "Go to your wife, Wilhelm. Make sure she doesn't give herself swollen ankles."

Though he wanted to speak more with you, Wilhelm knew Anna would be looking for him, the pregnancy now starting to take its toll on her body as it altered to carry their child. "Come back in when you are ready." He gave you a kiss on the temple and walked back inside. "I mean it, though, you look a lot…I do not know, there is something different in you, you seem, fresher, healthier somehow, it suits you."

For a few minutes, you stared over the city, your eyes drawn to the palace, and where you knew Loki's rooms were within it, you thought of the prince you had loved with all your heart, the one you could not have. You heard the curtain pull back as you were joined on the balcony again. "Honestly Wilhelm, you are just after getting married, you need to be with your wife." You chastised, but when you turned, your mouth fell open. "Loki."

He walked closer to you. "You look beautiful." He commented to you, looking at you with sad eyes.

"I…You look like Hel." You had, to be honest, he truly did.

"I do, I cannot sleep, I cannot eat, I cannot stop thinking about you." He stepped closer to you.

"Loki." You stepped back. "You are betrothed." You stated factually. "You are to be wed, I said it before, I cannot be with another woman's betrothed."

"She is a terrible little brat, I will slit my own throat before I wed her." He spat.

"Regardless, you heard your father, it could never be." you smiled sadly. "We have to respect that."

"I never will." He declared.

"That is a pity, you will only upset yourself more if you do not."

"Have you?"

"I have no choice but to."

"If you had taken that throne, he could not have denied you." He growled angrily.

"I never wanted that throne." You retorted.

"So you never wanted me, because that was our way to be together, but you would not take it. You did not want me." you could see the tears in his eyes. "You told me as you were between conscious and asleep on that horseback from where he had you chained, you said that you loved me, but you did not mean it, did you?" he spat. "You never loved me."

You said nothing for a moment, thinking over his words. Swallowing, you looked him in the eye, inhaled deeply, and braced yourself for what you were about to do. "No, but you cannot blame me really, I only did what I had to to survive. I only ever wanted to get out of my terrible situation." You stated plainly, that caused his anger to turn to heartbroken shock. "Once King Rowan gave me the money, I needed no one, so I took it, and I left." You added. "I am sorry if you thought it was more, but I had to try and survive."

"I…No, you are lying." He shook his head almost manically.

"You are the God of Lies, you know what I am saying is true." You shrugged. "Goodbye, Loki. I hope that girl matures for you." With that, you left the terrace.

"Girlie?" Wilhelm looked at you as you joined them once more.

"I need to leave." You stated, tears in your eyes, looking to the curtain again, you looked back ay him. "I had to…"

"Had to what?" Wilhelm looked at you before looking at the curtains. "What did you do?"

"Look after him, please, get him to remain himself." You pleaded before going to Anna, holding her in a tight embrace and smiling, looking at her rounding belly, rubbing it and feeling the little one inside moving. "Look after it and each other." She nodded, but began to cry, hugging you to her again. "I will see you in the future."

"Promise?"

"I promise." You looked her dead in the eye as you said, and with that, you left.

"She is so beautiful and so precious, it is the perfect name for her." You smiled, holding the small half elfin baby in your arms. "I am sorry I did not come sooner." You handed the five-month-old back to her mother.

"Honestly, until Ruby got into a routine, you could have been standing in front of me and I would not have noticed." Anna smiled, placing her to her breast to feed her.

"Well, I am glad she has settled for you." You smiled kindly back. "So, how are you finding it being at home, having the chance to raise her yourself?"

"It is not easy, I mean, Wilhelm has to leave for work every morning early enough. Do you know he has not taken another chambermaid since?" you shook your head, you had not known that. "So Wilhelm does everything, not that there is much for him to do."

"And your mother-in-law?"

Anna smiled fondly. "We keep each other company, I actually enjoy caring for her, I like knowing that we can do so here. Broderick gives us some money to help out too since apparently, I am like a full-time carer now." she smiled.

"Good, I am glad you are all so happy." You smiled.

"Mya has moved in with her baker."

"Michal, he seems nice."

"Have you seen her?"

"Not since the wedding. I have not really made my way to the city." You shook your head.

"How are the deep forests?" Anna asked, winding her daughter.

"Green, and quiet, just as I like them." You grinned, rubbing the child's hand, she smiled at you before belching.

"Very lady-like." Her mother laughed.

"What is lady-like?" Wilhelm asked, walking into the house. "Girlie, you finally made it to see Ruby!" he beamed as he spotted you, giving his daughter a big kiss and blowing raspberry's on her cheek before hugging you to him.

"And you two as well," you smiled back. "How are you?"

"I am well, thank you." He smiled, looking you up and down. "You look tired, are you alright?"

"Seriously, we see our friend for the first time in months, and you insult her by telling her she looks tired?" Anna scolded, clipping him across the head. "I actually want her to come again you know."

"I am just asking out of concern" he groused. "But in all seriousness, how are you Girlie?"

"Tired, as you stated, but overall fine. How is all in the palace?" as soon as you asked, the look on his face made you regret it.

"He has locked himself into his rooms, I do not even see him move some days, the Allfather has decided to step in, though what that means, I am not sure," Wilhelm answered solemnly.

"That is disappointing to hear." You stated plainly. "I hear there is a potential match for Thor?"

Wilhelm stared at you, almost in disbelief at your manner, "I…yes…Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I did, but I cannot…I just cannot speak about that." you looked away, focusing on the clock on the far wall.

Wilhelm looked at you studiously for a moment. "You really did not care about him, did you?" he asked angrily, "You only did as you said you were doing, using him." his face turned to one of disgust. "Get out." He rose to his feet, pointing to the door.

"Wilhelm!" Anna objected.

"Get out of my house." He reiterated to you. You rose to your feet, your breathing shallow, but you looked him in the eye. "I thought you my friend, I defended you, I said you said those things to try and get him to be happy without you, but you really do not care, do you?" You said nothing back. "Anna can continue to be a friend to you if she chooses, though I will question her judgement should she do so, but I do not ever want you around my daughter, and I hope I never set eye on you again." He spat, taking Ruby and leaving the room.

"I…" Anna looked at you.

Inhaling deeply, you looked at her, your nostrils flaring, tears in your eyes, threatening to fall. "Goodbye, Anna."

"No…" she shook her head as she began to cry.

"Go to your husband and daughter, love them, care for them." You could not look at her as you gave her those instructions.

"You cannot leave…you need to…"

"I need to leave, it is the right thing to do." You stated, walking out of the small house, not looking back.

You sat by the fire, flicking through a book, your eyes scanning the words, but your mind did not take any of them in, you gave up and rubbed your eyes. You looked at the flames flickering in front of you.

"Forgive me, Ma'am." Your butler, Gerard bowed on entering. "I have someone who wishes to speak with you."

"It is eleven at night, who on Asgard could wish to speak with me at this hour?" you asked, getting to your feet. When the guest walked into the room, you bowed. "Allmother." When another entered, your eyes widened more. "Allfather."

"We need you to come to the palace." Frigga pleaded.

"Allmother, I cannot." You shook your head.

"I am aware of the late hour, but Loki…" she bit her lips together, her eyes filled with tears. "He…he is in such a dark place."

"You must speak with him." Usually, such words from Odin could only be construed as an order, but the look on his face told you he was pleading with you.

Your heart pounded painfully in your chest at their request. "I cannot help you, I am sorry." You turned. "I need to excuse myself now, I apologise. I hope he is well again soon." You made to get passed them.

"I was speaking to that maid that came to the palace with you today, she came with Wilhelm when Loki would not open his door, she made mention of something to me, that you had spoken with them a week ago."

You thought back to the day the week before where Wilhelm told you he never wished to see you again. "I did."

"It was noted how cold you react to anything regarding Loki."

"With all due respect Allmother, I am not the reason for how situations have fared." You bowed.

"I am aware of my faults with regards my son," Odin growled.

You looked directly at the large warrior king as you spoke to him. "I am not sure you are, Allfather, in all my time in your palace's employment, your blatant favouritism was only surpassed by your ignorance to it. I hear Thor was permitted to select his wife and chose a warrior girl of no considerable family, yet he was forced to be betrothed to a child, who is conceited and selfish, who can never give him happiness, and you did nothing to bother to find him a more suited one."

"You thought it to be you?"

"No, I am aware I am nothing near what is required for your son and his position."

"You will not use his name," Odin noted.

"I do not wish to." You shrugged, "Now, I need to deal with something, excuse my rudeness." You went to walk from the room. Just as your hand was on the door handle, the door opened; and your maid Natalya stood there, her gaze immediately making its way to the royals before looking at you with an apologetic terrified look. You swallowed and inhaled deeply before looking back to the monarchs, their eyes firmly fixed on what the maid had in her arms before they looked at you knowingly.

"You stated…" Odin looked at you accusingly.

You grinned bitterly back him. "That is the thing about being in close proximity to the God of Lies; it becomes quite easy to become proficient at such."


	41. Chapter 41

Loki stared at the wall in front of him, your words spinning around in his mind; it had been months since you had said them to him, but they only seemed to hurt more with time. You had fooled him, he had given you his heart, and you only scoffed at him, crushing it as though it was nothing, you had only used him to get ahead, to try and get out of being a lowly chambermaid. It felt as though you had torn his heart from his chest with your words, and every time he thought of them again, it was like the edge of the wound was picked at, allowing infection to fester and for it to never to heal. He thought back to when his parents told him of his betrothal, how that night he had you under him, your body reacting to his touch, the noises you made, the delicious sound of his name on your lips as you went through ecstasy together, he never felt such love, such happiness as that time, thinking of it, he began to sob, his arms wrapped around himself.

You watched from the doorway of the room, having just entered and closed it softly behind you, biting your lips together, he was gaunt, dishevelled, everything so quintessentially Loki was obliterated and in front of you, sat a shell of the man you loved so dearly, a man you helped destroy, if only unintentionally. "Loki." You barely whispered.

He looked around at you, his eyes red raw. "What, why are you here again? I cannot take any more of this taunting, I cannot take those words again; please, please do not torment me any longer." He pleaded pathetically, his voice cracking with heartbreak. "I cannot even sleep with this anymore."

You cocked your head to the side. "What?"

"Do not play dumb, you come, day and night, taunting me, torturing me, I cannot take it any longer." He shouted as he rose to his feet and came closer to you.

"Stop shouting, I am right here, and my hearing is in no way impaired." You chastised. He went to strike you with the back of your hand, but you ducked. "What are you doing?" you asked in shock.

"It's the only way you leave." He shouted.

"I have not been here to leave, and stop shouting I said." You snapped. When he went to strike you again, you got out of the way, but then slapped him across the face in retaliation.

He stared in shock for a moment, his hand going to where you had struck him. "That smarted."

"It was supposed to." You retorted.

He looked at you warily, his hand extending towards you cautiously. You eyed it carefully but did not move. When it came to you, he gently touched you. "You are really here."

"Yes, I am."

"Why?"

"Your parents came to me."

"Why?"

"Have you looked in a mirror, you look terrible." You stated.

"You look so beautiful, as you always have." he stated sadly.

"I am more tired than I ever thought possible." You commented. "They are worried about you, everyone is, they think you will harm yourself." Your voice became tight at the thought of Loki doing such a thing.

Loki's eyes fell from your face, along with his hand. "Why would you care?"

"Because if you were to be harmed, I would never be capable of knowing the sensation of happiness again," You replied.

"Why you already said, you were only using me."

"Do you really believe that?" you gave a small cold laugh. He looked at you. "I had to say that, you would not stop fighting it otherwise, I wanted you to move on, or I thought you would anyway; it appears, however, that indeed, you conceded and forwent living entirely instead, look at you, you are merely existing now."

"You…you did not mean it?" he asked, his eyes and tone showing his hope.

"Of course not, I loved you Loki, I still do."

"Why…how could you…?"

"I have not slept many nights since that day, I cannot forget the look on your face when I said those words. It took ever last ounce of strength I had to force those words out, it took everything I had to not close the distance between us and kiss you, to show you how greatly I love you. I had to pretend…even when it cost me everything I held so dear, the family I loved as though they were my own. Do you know Wilhelm effectively threw me from his home, forbidding me from ever seeing Ruby again for believing I said those things to you because I forced myself to act as though I meant them when he confronted me regarding them?"

"Then why did you?"

"I had no choice." You justified. "You are betrothed to another."

"I do not want to be."

"Nor do I want you to be, but that does not stop the fact that you are." You argued.

He closed the two feet between you and caressed your cheek gently. "I love you." He whispered, leaning in to kiss you.

"You should hate me." You stated sadly, leaning back t avoid the kiss.

"I never could." He shook his head.

"You do not know what I have done, the day of the wedding, I kept something from you; from all of you." You began to explain.

Loki looked at you, his eyes looking into yours, trying to see why you felt so guilty. "What?"

"I need you to leave this room." He shook his head. "I need you to Loki, I am not asking, I am telling you to." You took his hand in yours and looked him in the eye, trying to convey your request. "You need to follow me." Sceptically, he allowed you guide him from the room. In the other part of his rooms, his family sat as though in a small circle, Wilhelm standing nearby, his eyes on you, his face cold.

"I do not…" Loki looked around. Thor and Odin moved slightly on hearing his voice, their large bulky bodies almost seemed to shield Frigga's from view, but when they moved, Loki was able to see something, he let go of your hand and moved closer to his family. When he saw his mother, he looked for a moment before staring back at you. "You…"

"Apparently Lord Henricus' plan worked." You stated. "I am sure he looks up from Hel in glee."

"But you said…"

"What else was I going to say? I had to say otherwise if any had known..." You defended.

"You told no one." You looked to Wilhelm, who seemed angry at you. "You never told me, Anna…"

"You would have run here and told him before I even finished the sentence, do not deny it." You countered; Wilhelm gave a small look and a movement of his head that signified it was true.

Loki made his way to his mother, who was holding the small bundle in her arms as though it was the most precious thing to ever exist, looking down at it adoringly before looking to her son, gauging his reactions. "Loki…" his hands extended of their own accord, looking at you cautiously, she moved her own to allow Loki take the blanket in his. "Be careful."

"I will not drop…" he looked to you.

"Him." you stated.

Looking down at the baby, he smiled weakly. "A boy." He noticed that under the hat, there were small strands of black hair, his features a mixture of elfin and Aesir. "He is perfect."

"Who would have thought Loki's offspring would be so…calm?" Thor stated looking at his brother and the baby. Loki glared at him. "You were the noisiest terror to ever exist, Norn's, you never would stop crying."

"It is true." Odin agreed, nodding his head.

Loki looked at you again. "You could have told me." There was hurt and anger in his voice, though not as much as you had been expecting.

"Would you have been able to stay away?" you asked, his eyes told you his answer. "That is why I could not."

Loki looked for a moment at his son again, before looking to his parents. "You cannot force me to marry Lady Alana now." he started firmly. "I need to be a father to my son."

"You did not seem overly interested in the idea before," Odin commented. Loki made to retort viciously, but he looked at the small infant in his arms again. "It is not so easy, he is illegitimate, he is a…"

"Finish that sentence, I dare you," Loki snarled. "You were the first to condemn Njall for his treatment of what children he sired."

"But Lady Alana…" Odin stated factually.

"Father," Thor stood, "Were her family to find out…" Loki looked to Thor in disgust. "Peace, brother, I stand with you in this." He assured him. "They will not accept this, you know that they are overly sanctimonious, a child outside wedlock, to another woman, they will null the agreement immediately, they will make it very clear why this is happening also."

"How can we save face in this?" Odin demanded, wanting to hear their great plan.

"I have an idea." Loki declared, his eyes filled with hope.

"Darling, wake up." Loki shook you gently. "Our son requires you."

"No, you do it." You groaned, turning over to try and continue sleeping.

"I would, my love, but I cannot feed him, I lack certain…abilities and anatomy."

"What good is it eloping with the greatest seidr wielder in the realms if he cannot feed our child?" you groaned, "I am up." You pushed yourself up a little, "Where is he?"

"I have him right here." Loki smiled, showing you your son, who was looking around for you, his little mouth open.

"He is your son through and through." you laughed, looking at your husband.

He placed hair behind your ear, "He is yours also, he has your demeanour." He smiled fondly as you fed his child "Which is apparently a good thing if my parents are to be believed."

"Do you regret it?" you asked, looking at him.

"Giving up my title?" you nodded. "You gave up yours without second thought."

"I never had it growing up, it was not something I knew all my life."

"I do not want titles, lands or what else was it?" he smiled, trying to quote your words from the day his mother suggested you take the crown of Alfheim. "I was never going to be king, so what do I care for a title? Thor will have his own offspring, and they will be next in line. I did not have to marry that little harpy, and instead have it that I have you, the elf I adore with all my being, and our son. A fair trade-off, in my opinion."

"'Fair trade off' we both know you would have married a goat if you needed to, to get out of marrying her." You scoffed.

"I could have if I had been forced to, but I was fortunate enough to get you instead."

"So I am better than a goat?" you grinned.

"Most definitely." He smirked back, kissing you.

"Even if you now live in a forest, miles from anything? The whole realm knowing you ran off with some peasant."

"I honestly prefer this." He confirmed he kissed you again, before stealing your son to burp him, the infant giving out a loud one as his father aided him. "shh, my boy, you will wake your grandmother if you continue like that."

"Speaking of which, not that I mind; after all, I have not had a mother since I was a child and she has been such a great aid to me, but does she ever plan on going back to the palace?"

"I think not, not so long as her beloved grandson is here." Loki shrugged. "Thor has overstayed his welcome, though." He groaned.

"As the Crowned prince and your brother, he is allowed to visit, besides it was him that married us."

"He has stayed a full week after; we could have gotten some town magistrate and have been left alone soon after." Loki groaned.

"I thought all royals had long weddings." You smiled, "And it was already enough of an elopement, at least there is no contesting this, royally sealed. Though he seems to have gotten the date wrong." You pulled off the covers to get out of bed.

"Usually I would agree with you, he is normally stupid enough to do so, but this time, no, he did not." Loki grinned. "As far as everyone outside of the family will ever know, our son was conceived and birthed when we were wed." he gave a coy smirk, helping you to your feet, your son in his other arm.

"My genius husband," you kissed him again.

"I am only as good as my dear wife." He looked down at your son. "Are you worried for the future?" you looked at him with concern. "What will we do when he is older and has our smarts combined?"

"I do, but I do not think we will have time to worry."

"And why is that pray tell, dear wife?" He asked with a raised brow and a small smirk.

"Because, dear husband, we will also have his brother or sister to contend with also." You bit your lip at your admission.

"Norn's, do I only need to look at you?" Loki stated wide-eyed, though there was pride in his voice. "You always are so willing to give me my desires, are you not?"

"As your former employee and now wife, I am always willing to serve you." You smiled.

"It is a worthy cause." Loki joked, earning him a bemused look before you stuck out your tongue. Looking at the small boy in his arms, who was still only learning to sit up, Loki beamed, unsure how, after everything you had both endured, the Norn's thought to show such favour.


End file.
